‘Game for Anto’: Gavin says Kingspan ideal for competitive GAA games

Now new ground has been broken, Jim Gavin sees no reason why Kingspan Stadium can’t be used to host competitive GAA matches in the future.

The Dublin manager was part of history on Saturday night with the first gaelic football match to be played at the home of Ulster rugby in over 90 years being staged to raise funds and awareness of Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The unique occasion was the brainchild of former Antrim football captain Anto Finnegan, who was diagnosed with the terminal condition in 2012, and the creativity of the fixture attracted over 6,200 people to Kingspan Stadium. With the redevelopment of Casement on hold due to an ongoing legal dispute with local residents, Gavin speculated on the possibility of returning to Kingspan for a competitive match.

“We could indeed be back and I have to say there’s a lot of county grounds that wouldn’t be much bigger, certainly Parnell Park wouldn’t be much bigger,” he said. “Shane Logan, chief executive of Ulster Rugby, has really shown the value of sport in society and to extend that friendship to the GAA and to have gaelic football here, the symbolism of that gesture means a lot to us in Dublin and we are privileged to be here.