Galway show the course for navigating choppy waters that accompany stadium funding

Galway, like Cork, are a dual county battling financial realities on numerous fronts. Over the next 18 months, they will spend the guts of €2 million on infrastructure projects.

WHAT'S YOUR APPROACH? A general view inside Pearse Stadium in Galway. Pic: Seb Daly, Sportsfile

After Ed Sheeran’s 2018 tour passed through Pearse Stadium, Galway GAA officials were left with one overriding takeaway: Never again.

63,000 people came through the gates over two days, but the payout wasn’t worth the cost. The pitch took a year to recover. The grounds did not have major facilities for food and bars like Páirc Uí Chaoimh or Croke Park do, restricting the margins. The logistics took an age to arrange. Then they had to listen to Ed Sheeran.