Irish News
West Stand
£500,000, although
the club is hopeful
that will be increased as construction starts.
The FAI has also
begun the payments of their
£400,000 grant
that they pledged
at the announcement of the venture. In the interim,
Rovers are still
based at their temporary home of
Morton Stadium in
Santry.
Croke Park
Phase two of the redevelopment of the stadium for national sports in Ireland, Croke Park, has been
completed at a cost of £40 million. It involved the canal end of the master plan and now provides seating for 21,200 in the same four-tier configuration as in phase one.
A £20 million government grant has enabled the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to start phase three
2 years ahead of schedule. It will provide 23,500 seats and is set for completion in early 2002. The
roof will extend further, to 40 metres and the cost for phase three will be £65 million. The stadium
when completed will have a capacity of 79,000 seats and will be used for the opening ceremony and
track and field events in the Special Olympics being held in the capital in 2003.
Finn Harps - Finn Park
The Donegal based side spent the summer improving the drainage at their ground in Ballybofey. The
stadium is adjacent to the River Finn and several fixtures in recent seasons have been lost to heavy
waterlogging. Meanwhile, plans for redeveloping the ground, first mooted in 1998, seem no nearer
becoming reality as the Donegalmen are concentrating on premier Division survival.
St. Francis - Hyland Park
The Newcastle based side have not
installed seats in their new stand at
Hyland Park. The stand, which covers the length of one side of the pitch,
is now basically a large covered enclosure and the club are currently in
contravention of the league of Ire- The less well developed side of Hyland Park (P.Miles)
land’s edict on provision of seating.
St. Francis and Home Farm are the only LOI clubs still without any seats.
Groundtastic
page 61
Issue 23