Kerry and Tipperary hoping Fitzgerald and Semple Stadium to receive major funding

The two counties are hoping they will be among the major recipients when the €120 million large scale sports infrastructure fund (LSSIF) allocations are announced later this month.

FUNDING HOPE: Kerry and Tipperary are hoping FBD Semple Stadium and Fitzgerald Stadium will be among the major recipients when the €120 million large scale sports infrastructure fund (LSSIF) allocations are announced later this month. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Kerry and Tipperary are hoping FBD Semple Stadium and Fitzgerald Stadium will be among the major recipients when the €120 million large scale sports infrastructure fund (LSSIF) allocations are announced later this month.

The Killarney and Thurles venues are two of 12 GAA applications that also include the likes of Clare, Dublin, Limerick, Mayo, Meath, Roscommon and Wexford.

The allocations across the sports organisations are sized between €600,000 and €30m and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have stipulated the assessment process will “take into account population size, sustainability, and ensuring that similar access is provided to accommodate access by men and women to LSSIF-funded facilities."

Kerry GAA have set out an ambitious €77m plan to redevelop Fitzgerald Stadium, which they intend to transform into a sports, tourism and entertainment attraction.

They have commenced a legal process to draw down monies from the Immigrant Investment Programme, which has now closed.

Semple Stadium requires a €4m investment from the GAA to maintain the upkeep of the fabled venue and there remain hopes to revive the pre-pandemic redevelopment plans they had for the Kinane Stand, which at the time were estimated to cost €10m.

Counties are looking to develop their centres of excellence. Clare want to augment their current Caherlohan base as do Wexford with their hub in Ferns.

Roscommon are seeking State support for their planned centre of excellence outside Roscommon town, while Dublin have applied for funding towards their plans for the Spawell site in Templeogue in the south-west of the capital.

Sports organisations had until late April to submit their applications for a portion of the funding. In the previous LSSIF, €124m was awarded to 33 projects.

Of the GAA county ground proposals, Waterford’s Walsh Park received €7.056m, Páirc Tailteann in Navan €7.5m and Newbridge’s St Conleith’s Park €6.031m. The Kildare venue is to reopen with next month’s senior football final.

The €50m the Government committed towards the reconstruction of Casement Park is separate to the LSSIF scheme. In July, Taoiseach Simon Harris indicated that contribution could be increased.

The Belfast stadium, which is listed as one of the host stadia for the Euro 2028 finals, is in a race against time to be ready for the tournament. Although a Labour government has made encouraging noises about the stadium being constructed, UEFA insists it must be built by the middle of 2027 to stage the finals’ fixtures.