Louth GAA and Croke Park in disagreement over new stadium build

GAA chiefs are concerned about the county's ability to provide proof of funds.

HEADQUARTERS: Initially projected at €12m, the Dundalk stadium costs have more than doubled and have already been scaled back from €29m.

A major disagreement between Croke Park and Louth GAA has developed concerning the county’s new stadium build.

Croke Park have articulated to Louth their concerns about the county board’s ability to provide proof of funds to go ahead with the construction of the venue outside Dundalk. However, Louth’s executive committee have responded that they want to be treated the same as other counties who are building stadia at the moment and intend for work on the site to commence on Monday.

The county executive had envisaged the 14,000-capacity stadium costing €25 million would be open in September 2024 in time to host the senior county football final. Louth-based construction company Ganson won the tender to develop the area on Dundalk’s inner relief road with the stand structures expected to be on site by September.

Initially projected at €12m, the stadium costs have more than doubled and have already been scaled back from €29m. While Louth claim they are in the process of accumulating €18m of the funds required – €14.8m has been sourced from the Government’s Immigrant Investor Programme – the GAA have yet to be convinced Louth are capable of sourcing the outstanding amount and therefore haven’t confirmed their contribution.

Louth hope to make up the shortfall through a series of initiatives such as grants, stadium naming rights, €1m from advertisement hoarding and three-year seat sales, each priced at €1,000 and a possible loan.

At a county board meeting earlier this month, chairman Peter Fitzpatrick couldn’t provide a timeline of when all of the IIP money would be issued to Louth as the controversial “golden visas” scheme had been delayed by the Department of Justice.

Speaking at last Wednesday’s hearing of the Joint-Oireachtas committee on tourism, culture, arts, sports and media, Independent TD Fitzpatrick admitted they had financial difficulties in sourcing finances for the stadium. “We’re trying to build a stadium at the moment and we just don’t have the money,” he said. “We are trying very, very hard.” Fitzpatrick previously conceded Croke Park felt that Louth were moving too quickly with the project and were keen to avoid the errors made during the reconstruction of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

In an interview with “The Argus” earlier this week, county treasurer Aidan Berrill said they could not wait for funding from Croke Park. “I’d love if they’d given us €5m or €6m to be put in the bank, but that’s never going to happen. They will give us that when the project is up and running and from what I understand, closer to the end of the development as opposed to the start because Croke Park have to organise the funding.

“I don’t think they have the sum available at the moment because they’ve backed Waterford, Newbridge and Navan to get them off the ground. They’ve each got money from the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund as far back as three years ago.

“People have to realise that Croke Park or the Government are not going to build a stadium for Louth and unless we do it, it won’t happen. We’re not going to get a handout, we have to press ahead ourselves.” Ganson chief executive David Rogers was on the board’s original stadium committee but stood down because his company would be tendering for the project.

The GAA’s management committee meet in Croke Park this evening and Central Council convene there tomorrow where the stadium development could be discussed.