Thomond Park to get match go-ahead

LIMERICK city’s chief fire officer is today expected to give the go-ahead for the re-opening of Thomond Park, which is undergoing a major redevelopment, for next Sunday’s Heineken Cup game between Munster and Clermont Auvergne.

Due to construction work the capacity has been reduced to 12,000.

Ken Lyons, a member of the redevelopment committee, said: “We expect the chief fire office to sign off on it on Tuesday.

“The fire officer has made several visits to the new stadium and everything he has requested has been done.

“The pitch has been untouched by the machinery and is in perfect condition,” he said.

“We have all new terracing on the west side and a new stand will be built behind this terracing. For the first time the teams will run out onto the pitch from the city side of the ground where the new dressing rooms have been built underground.”

The entire €40 million project is on schedule to be finished by September 2008.