Bertie Bowl back on the Election agenda
The Bertie Bowl is back on the Election agenda. A joint statement from the FAI and IRFU this afternoon sees both organisations throw their weight behind Bertie Ahern’s proposals on a national stadium.
Both say their sports require a modern facility with a capacity of 60,000 to 65,000.
The FAI and IRFU say neither organisation can afford to build a stadium privately and say expert advice says a re-developed Lansdowne Road is not practical.
On the issue of Croke Park, they say there is no way it would be suitable for anything other than a once-off event like a Rugby World Cup or the European Championships in 2008, and only then with the agreement of the GAA.
At other times the pitch size and the fixture calendars don’t match. Both also argue the revenue generated by International fixtures at a National Stadium would fund grass roots development of both sports around the country.
