Déise chief determined to bring Walsh Park in under budget

Waterford County Board chairman Paddy Joe Ryan says Walsh Park “was the only game in town” for redevelopment within the county but warns refurbishment costs cannot be allowed to “paralyse the county board”.

“The cost will be €7 million and the capacity of Walsh Park will be in or around 16,000,” said Ryan.

“We’ll have a covered stand capacity of 5,300, north stand seated (uncovered) of 4,200, and east stand (uncovered) of 346, which is near where we’re building the dressing rooms.

“The area behind the goals — at the country end — will be uncovered and will hold approximately 5,500. Give or take, that’ll be the capacity.

“It’s tight but we feel that capacity is plenty for Waterford. We can’t maintain anything else with costs and maintenance, we won’t be filling it very often, and our county finals might draw 3,000 to 4,000. Covering the north stand would involve huge costs, there would be issues with planning permission and issues also with the views of those houses on that side of the ground.”

There are also plans for four large dressing rooms, a kitchen/physio area, manager and selectors rooms, two referees’ rooms, a meeting room, three main offices — for the county secretary, accounts and for coaching and games.

“It’s embarrassing to have people come to the facilities we have now in Waterford,” said Ryan. “What we have now is not fit for purpose and we have to move with the times, but we can’t afford to paralyse the county board either, or to build something we won’t ever use.”

Have the Cork County Board’s financial travails influenced thinking in Waterford?

“I’m not going to get into what has happened in Cork other than to say it has given us great leverage here, if you like,” said Ryan. “People are saying to us ‘you’re doing the right thing’ with the stadium. Our biggest problem was geography — I’m from west Waterford and I’m nearer to Semple Stadium and Nowlan Park than I am to Walsh Park. In our discussions in recent years with the GAA, they said the only game in town was Walsh Park, with 70% of the population in the city area.

“Fraher Field is a lovely field, with great parking and a training field next to it. Down the line I’d love to see it upgraded, with an 8,000-10,000 capacity, benefiting the people in west Waterford the way Walsh Park will benefit people in the city.”

Ryan feels issues like parking near Walsh Park can be overcome: “If you park on the quays in Waterford you’re much closer to Walsh Park than you are, for example, if you park by the golf club in Thurles for a game in Semple Stadium. Pearse Stadium in Salthill is a lovely stadium but the last time I was up there everywhere you looked there were signs saying ‘don’t park here or you’ll be prosecuted’.

“With WIT, Roanmore, and Mount Sion there are plenty of parking options near Walsh Park. In Cork and Thurles you’re accommodating 50,000 people. We’re talking about 15,000 people on a very, very busy day — usually you’d be talking about a couple of thousand for a league game.”

An Bord Pleanála approved of the planning application last week and Ryan is hoping that building will start in July.

“We’d be hoping to be in reasonable shape for the Munster championship next year (2020) — whether that is achievable or not I’m not qualified to say, but that’s the aspiration we have. But we will still play our two (championship) matches this year in Walsh Park. We won’t be doing any work until after the Limerick game. There’s nothing definite in life but those games will be in Walsh Park.”

Redevelopment financing will come from four areas.

“There’s Croke Park, the government’s sports capital grants scheme, the Munster Council — who have been very generous down the years — and the county board. By the county board I mean the clubs, the businesspeople of Waterford — putting a group together to help the stadium get the best of everything. Naming rights, we’ll be looking at that as well. Without the help of Club Deise (supporters organisation) we wouldn’t survive. They’ve given us huge assistance — approximately €200,000 last year, and they’re participating fully again this year.”

There are also ongoing club levies in Waterford.

“The clubs are very forthcoming and we design our levies with the size of the clubs in mind. My own club, The Nire/Fourmilewater, is a dual club so we pay a double levy. We’d be better off amalgamating but we don’t. It’s my last year as chairman and I don’t want to leave a huge debt after me. The likes of Pat Flynn (county secretary) and John Jackson (county treasurer) have done great work but now it’ll be getting busier because we’ll be meeting Croke Park and putting the work in.

“All I can say is we’re going to fight with might and main to bring this in under budget.”