Cork chiefs target 2015 for new stadium

CORK GAA chiefs are aiming to stage the first games in the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the early months of the 2015 season.

The Cork County Board last night received the green light from city council officials to commence the project after the sale of seven acres of publicly owned land next to the stadium was agreed. Cork GAA chairman Jerry O’Sullivan last night revealed that they are hopeful the planning and consultation phase of the project will be completed in the next twelve months, which will be a followed by a two-year construction phase that will see the stadium undergo a radical makeover and a centre of excellence being developed.

“We’re absolutely delighted and we warmly welcome the decision. We will start on the application for planning permission very soon but these things do take time and we’d hope to have that done by next April. Realistically you never know then how long it will take for planning to be granted because of objections but by this time next year, I think we can target the work to be completed.

“The development of the centre of excellence and the building of a new stand will take time, but we’d predict there’ll be about two years in the construction of it. So then you’re looking at it being done by the end of 2014 and everything ready for the start of the 2015 season. That’s the plan anyway but it’s very difficult to accurately measure these things.”

O’Sullivan praised the decision taken by city councillors and insisted that the running of Cork GAA would not be disrupted during the construction phase because of the availability of Páirc Uí Rinn to stage club and inter-county games.

“It’s great news from our point of view and we’re delighted that the councillors have come to this decision. We’re very grateful to the city manager for his role in all this and a lot of the credit must go to our own secretary Frank Murphy as well as he has had numerous meetings with the city manager on this project. We’re lucky that we have a fantastic facility in Páirc Uí Rinn to help us in the running of GAA in the county. It’s a great second stadium and while it can’t hold senior inter-county championship games, it is suitable for everything else and will be very valuable to us during the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.”

Meanwhile Ephie Fitzgerald, who served as coach to the Limerick senior footballers this season, is the front runner to become the next manager of the Cork minor footballers.

Following Brian Cuthbert’s departure from his role after a two-year term, Fitzgerald is on the brink of being appointed to the position. Fitzgerald has enjoyed huge success in Cork football as he steered Nemo Rangers to four successive county senior football titles between 2005 and 2008, while last March he was involved in the management team that helped Coláiste Chríost Rí to claim Corn Uí Mhuirí honours.

Meanwhile the extent of the neck injury sustained by Charleville defender Dessie Fitzgerald is last Saturday’s Cork JHC semi-final in Buttevant is still unknown, as he continues his recovery in the Mater Hospital in Dublin.

Charleville’s victory in the clash over Kilbrin was overshadowed by the lengthy delay following a collision between Fitzgerald, an All-Ireland medal winner with the Cork intermediate hurlers in 2003, and a teammate in the first-half of the game.