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Post by The16thMan on Jul 18, 2023 20:53:58 GMT
So 1st draft plans have been leaked on twitter tonight. My initial thoughts were that the main terrace is being needlessly revamped. It looks like the commentary box would have to be knocked as well and also allow access from St.Finians side which might be difficult to get the planning for.
It all seems a bit too much for me, the stadium 70% okay the way it is. The stand and scoreboard end should be priority at this stage along with toilets, shops and a bit of maintenance work like paint and maybe take down the wire separating the pitch from spectators like they did in Tralee. Also some flood lights wouldn't go astray but that wouldn't be my main concern.
Stand needs to be redone completely along with the finishing of the scoreboard end terrace. It would give the stadium a completely new look and the appearance of the home venue of All Ireland Champions. Would be nice if Killarney could get the odd hurling championship game as well maybe such as a Cork v Limerick Munster Final down the line, it would go a ling way to promoting the game in the County.
Any thoughts? I'd be interested on what people think of the plans.
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keane
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Post by keane on Jul 18, 2023 21:05:53 GMT
Looking forward to the Taylor Swift gigs that we'll be told will pay for it
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 18, 2023 21:08:03 GMT
So 1st draft plans have been leaked on twitter tonight. My initial thoughts were that the main terrace is being needlessly revamped. It looks like the commentary box would have to be knocked as well and also allow access from St.Finians side which might be difficult to get the planning for. It all seems a bit too much for me, the stadium 70% okay the way it is. The stand and scoreboard end should be priority at this stage along with toilets, shops and a bit of maintenance work like paint and maybe take down the wire separating the pitch from spectators like they did in Tralee. Also some flood lights wouldn't go astray but that wouldn't be my main concern. Stand needs to be redone completely along with the finishing of the scoreboard end terrace. It would give the stadium a completely new look and the appearance of the home venue of All Ireland Champions. Would be nice if Killarney could get the odd hurling championship game as well maybe such as a Cork v Limerick Munster Final down the line, it would go a ling way to promoting the game in the County. Any thoughts? I'd be interested on what people think of the plans. I tweeted about this earlier, I really like it, As the auld fella would say if your going to do something, Do it right. I see this as a huge opportunity for Killarney for more than football. I hope theirs similar facilities to the Pairc, Bars, food etc. |
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Post by clarinman on Jul 18, 2023 21:18:23 GMT
So 1st draft plans have been leaked on twitter tonight. My initial thoughts were that the main terrace is being needlessly revamped. It looks like the commentary box would have to be knocked as well and also allow access from St.Finians side which might be difficult to get the planning for. It all seems a bit too much for me, the stadium 70% okay the way it is. The stand and scoreboard end should be priority at this stage along with toilets, shops and a bit of maintenance work like paint and maybe take down the wire separating the pitch from spectators like they did in Tralee. Also some flood lights wouldn't go astray but that wouldn't be my main concern. Stand needs to be redone completely along with the finishing of the scoreboard end terrace. It would give the stadium a completely new look and the appearance of the home venue of All Ireland Champions. Would be nice if Killarney could get the odd hurling championship game as well maybe such as a Cork v Limerick Munster Final down the line, it would go a ling way to promoting the game in the County. Any thoughts? I'd be interested on what people think of the plans. I tweeted about this earlier, I really like it, As the auld fella would say if your going to do something, Do it right. I see this as a huge opportunity for Killarney for more than football. I hope theirs similar facilities to the Pairc, Bars, food etc. Madness, when was the last time it was full. The St finians terrace in Killarney is the best in Ireland and shouldn't be touched. At club matches, there are more on the terrace than in the stand. Main priority should be toilet facilities which are very poor. After that, upgrade the stand. Bar and food facilities are way down the pecking order. Those are available 5 minutes down the road. |
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exiled
Senior Member
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Post by exiled on Jul 18, 2023 21:37:45 GMT
I tweeted about this earlier, I really like it, As the auld fella would say if your going to do something, Do it right. I see this as a huge opportunity for Killarney for more than football. I hope theirs similar facilities to the Pairc, Bars, food etc. Madness, when was the last time it was full. The St finians terrace in Killarney is the best in Ireland and shouldn't be touched. At club matches, there are more on the terrace than in the stand. Main priority should be toilet facilities which are very poor. After that, upgrade the stand. Bar and food facilities are way down the pecking order. Those are available 5 minutes down the road. Sell it for housing/hotels altogether and build on greenfield site if it's not going to be done properly. A piecemeal job will cost a lot more. |
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 18, 2023 22:08:47 GMT
I tweeted about this earlier, I really like it, As the auld fella would say if your going to do something, Do it right. I see this as a huge opportunity for Killarney for more than football. I hope theirs similar facilities to the Pairc, Bars, food etc. Madness, when was the last time it was full. The St finians terrace in Killarney is the best in Ireland and shouldn't be touched. At club matches, there are more on the terrace than in the stand. Main priority should be toilet facilities which are very poor. After that, upgrade the stand. Bar and food facilities are way down the pecking order. Those are available 5 minutes down the road. This is a complete redevelopment not just cosmetic work. Look at the bigger picture, It would be a super venue for concerts in the summer bringing in additional revenue and supporting jobs. Why not look at bars and food and actually make it attractive for families. |
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Hicser
Senior Member
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Post by Hicser on Jul 18, 2023 22:48:49 GMT
If they are to do it, make it right, spend the money, in the future we will see the benefits,
Parking should be considered as well,
Concerts & let’s be honest other codes as well all bring benefit,
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Post by orangerhyme on Jul 19, 2023 0:36:07 GMT
This is completely over the top.
Maybe it's a negotiation tactic, ask for more than you need.
The stadium only sells out once every 2 years. If league games were held there, it would make more business sense.
All it needs is an upgrade:
Do the scoreboard end.
Improve access and toilets in the terrace. See if we can get land from St Finians.
Upgrade seats in the Stand etc.
Maybe the dressing rooms need an upgrade.
Spend the money where it matters on coaching coaches, coaching teachers, grassroots, club facilities, school facilities, the centre of excellence in Currans, summer camps etc. Things like that.
The most important thing is participation, then it's winning All Ireland's.
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Post by kerrybhoy06 on Jul 19, 2023 9:02:55 GMT
So 1st draft plans have been leaked on twitter tonight. My initial thoughts were that the main terrace is being needlessly revamped. It looks like the commentary box would have to be knocked as well and also allow access from St.Finians side which might be difficult to get the planning for. It all seems a bit too much for me, the stadium 70% okay the way it is. The stand and scoreboard end should be priority at this stage along with toilets, shops and a bit of maintenance work like paint and maybe take down the wire separating the pitch from spectators like they did in Tralee. Also some flood lights wouldn't go astray but that wouldn't be my main concern. Stand needs to be redone completely along with the finishing of the scoreboard end terrace. It would give the stadium a completely new look and the appearance of the home venue of All Ireland Champions. Would be nice if Killarney could get the odd hurling championship game as well maybe such as a Cork v Limerick Munster Final down the line, it would go a ling way to promoting the game in the County. Any thoughts? I'd be interested on what people think of the plans. I tweeted about this earlier, I really like it, As the auld fella would say if your going to do something, Do it right. I see this as a huge opportunity for Killarney for more than football. I hope theirs similar facilities to the Pairc, Bars, food etc. Huge opportunity for Killarney- let’s hope that the Killarney town council fund it. As a football venue? Waste of time in reality- 1 big game every 2 years or possibly every year with new format- I’d not be mortgaging our player development for that |
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Post by somethingwitty on Jul 19, 2023 9:18:45 GMT
I see it as a huge positive for Kerry if it goes ahead. Fitzgerald has fallen way behind the times compared to other stadiums. While its true it hasn't sold out in a long time, mostly due to the size of the stadium, I think a small part of that could be due to the state the stadium was in. I would imagine also, as Ireland seem to be pushing to try host a major sports tournament, that funding may easier to come by then in the past. To be quite honest, I don't see any downside to the proposed development. Kerry have already done a great job with currans, and I would be frankly shocked if they are planning to have their youth set up take a back seat after investing so heavily into it
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 19, 2023 9:27:58 GMT
Kerry have very smart people behind the scenes.
Look at the job that was done in Currans,
State of the art training facility with the best equipment and best people working there.
If Kerry want to move forward they need a stadia to match.
Antrim, Louth, Meath, Kildare are all in a similar position.
Why go in and upgrade the toilets and paint the fence ...
It could be a municipal stadium that hosts Kerry in the intercounty season and big concerts in late Summer.
In my eyes croke park is starting to show its age,
This needs to be done right.
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Post by onlykerry on Jul 19, 2023 9:29:57 GMT
I am totally at a loss when it comes to understanding the need aspect of this project.
From a GAA perspective I think the need is fairly simple
Demolish and rebuild a modern stand with unobstructed views and improved capacity.
Add Floodlighting.
Improve services (toilets, food, accessibility etc).
As many have commented the need for a high capacity venue is questionable as there are very few GAA occasions if any when the venue sells out even as it is.
Killarney may well have aspirations for a venue that will draw crowds to concerts and other sporting codes events but this will restrict the availability for GAA events and will add to the complexity of maintaining a top class sod.
If a multi event facility is the ultimate choice then re-locating to a more accessible site with adequate parking and space to develop a truly top class multi event venue should be seriously considered. Promoters need to be clear on what they are setting out to achieve and not try to shoehorn an events centre into a GAA pitch in an effort to make the numbers (financial) work.
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Post by homerj on Jul 19, 2023 9:40:00 GMT
too much negativity around this already. lets trust the people behind it, that this is the right thing to do.
ireland isnt short of money, this can bring huge benifits to the town and county in general.
one thing that hasnt been covered - what is the capacity and cost?
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Jul 19, 2023 9:44:04 GMT
Against.
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Post by homerj on Jul 19, 2023 9:57:00 GMT
what are the reasons? all weve heard so far is "against it, its not needed, never be filled" etc but no actual justifications for being against it. a new modern stadium, that can attract 4 or 5 non GAA events per year, would be a massive boost commerciall to Killarney and Kerry. people are seriously under estimating just how poor shape the stadium is currently in. capacity is reduced by 12,000 purely as its not safe for crowds to be there, you have to use a poterloo to go to the toilet in most of the ground. one end is just gravel. the stand is how old, 50+ years and the views are terrible. it really needs to be done, people need to get behind it and it will be for the better good of Kerry, not just GAA. |
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 19, 2023 9:57:24 GMT
Can I ask those that are against it what their reasons are ?
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Post by greengold35 on Jul 19, 2023 10:01:28 GMT
Kerry have very smart people behind the scenes. Look at the job that was done in Currans, State of the art training facility with the best equipment and best people working there. If Kerry want to move forward they need a stadia to match. Antrim, Louth, Meath, Kildare are all in a similar position. Why go in and upgrade the toilets and paint the fence ... It could be a municipal stadium that hosts Kerry in the intercounty season and big concerts in late Summer. In my eyes croke park is starting to show its age, This needs to be done right. I have to disagree. There are major issues with Currans - it is a state of the art facility but at best there is one pitch available during the winter plus a problem with the lighting - my info is that the incorrect cabling was laid throughout which will need replacing costing ‘000s to rectify. We only need to look PUC & Frank’s vanity project - massive debt which will eventually impact on clubs & their own ability to develop their facilities. As a GAA only facility it needs a facelift - if it’s to be a multi event centre that’s a different issue. |
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Jul 19, 2023 10:02:34 GMT
what are the reasons? all weve heard so far is "against it, its not needed, never be filled" etc but no actual justifications for being against it. a new modern stadium, that can attract 4 or 5 non GAA events per year, would be a massive boost commerciall to Killarney and Kerry. people are seriously under estimating just how poor shape the stadium is currently in. capacity is reduced by 12,000 purely as its not safe for crowds to be there, you have to use a poterloo to go to the toilet in most of the ground. one end is just gravel. the stand is how old, 50+ years and the views are terrible. it really needs to be done, people need to get behind it and it will be for the better good of Kerry, not just GAA. I was so brief because everyone else has the reasons. There are 38 replies on the tweet above too. |
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Post by homerj on Jul 19, 2023 10:04:39 GMT
what are the reasons? all weve heard so far is "against it, its not needed, never be filled" etc but no actual justifications for being against it. a new modern stadium, that can attract 4 or 5 non GAA events per year, would be a massive boost commerciall to Killarney and Kerry. people are seriously under estimating just how poor shape the stadium is currently in. capacity is reduced by 12,000 purely as its not safe for crowds to be there, you have to use a poterloo to go to the toilet in most of the ground. one end is just gravel. the stand is how old, 50+ years and the views are terrible. it really needs to be done, people need to get behind it and it will be for the better good of Kerry, not just GAA. I was so brief because everyone else has the reasons. There are 38 replies on the tweet above too. but nobody has given a valid reason yet! hence why asking. |
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Post by homerj on Jul 19, 2023 10:07:14 GMT
Kerry have very smart people behind the scenes. Look at the job that was done in Currans, State of the art training facility with the best equipment and best people working there. If Kerry want to move forward they need a stadia to match. Antrim, Louth, Meath, Kildare are all in a similar position. Why go in and upgrade the toilets and paint the fence ... It could be a municipal stadium that hosts Kerry in the intercounty season and big concerts in late Summer. In my eyes croke park is starting to show its age, This needs to be done right. I have to disagree. There are major issues with Currans - it is a state of the art facility but at best there is one pitch available during the winter plus a problem with the lighting - my info is that the incorrect cabling was laid throughout which will need replacing costing ‘000s to rectify. We only need to look PUC & Frank’s vanity project - massive debt which will eventually impact on clubs & their own ability to develop their facilities. As a GAA only facility it needs a facelift - if it’s to be a multi event centre that’s a different issue. think it was you who mentioned this, about a year ago. nothing has ever proven or confirmed - i asked somebody involved and they said it wasnt true at all. so something isnt adding up. |
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Post by greengold35 on Jul 19, 2023 10:13:15 GMT
I have to disagree. There are major issues with Currans - it is a state of the art facility but at best there is one pitch available during the winter plus a problem with the lighting - my info is that the incorrect cabling was laid throughout which will need replacing costing ‘000s to rectify. We only need to look PUC & Frank’s vanity project - massive debt which will eventually impact on clubs & their own ability to develop their facilities. As a GAA only facility it needs a facelift - if it’s to be a multi event centre that’s a different issue. think it was you who mentioned this, about a year ago. nothing has ever proven or confirmed - i asked somebody involved and they said it wasnt true at all. so something isnt adding up. I have mentioned it before & believe me it’s true - if you visit at night, all you can do is train there - no matches can be played; the cabling installed is not of sufficient requirements to power the lighting required - it’s not something that’s spoken about because of the mess that was made. Recently I spent a very few enjoyable hours in the company of one of our former chairmen - he said he was dumbfounded at the rumoured costs of rectifying the issues concerned. |
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Jul 19, 2023 10:43:53 GMT
I was so brief because everyone else has the reasons. There are 38 replies on the tweet above too. but nobody has given a valid reason yet! hence why asking. Would you like me to dismiss your pro-reasons so easily? There will be no concerts in Killarney I could say. Sure when was the last one there? When PUC is down the road. I won't say that though. I have spake. |
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 19, 2023 10:47:31 GMT
think it was you who mentioned this, about a year ago. nothing has ever proven or confirmed - i asked somebody involved and they said it wasnt true at all. so something isnt adding up. I have mentioned it before & believe me it’s true - if you visit at night, all you can do is train there - no matches can be played; the cabling installed is not of sufficient requirements to power the lighting required - it’s not something that’s spoken about because of the mess that was made. Recently I spent a very few enjoyable hours in the company of one of our former chairmen - he said he was dumbfounded at the rumoured costs of rectifying the issues concerned. If what you say is correct and I've no reason to doubt you then surely the company that installed theses cables are liable for the corrective works. Surely there was indemnity insurance that an engineer or architect would require and surely it needed their sign off that the works were completed to a satisfactory standard. |
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Post by royalkerryfan on Jul 19, 2023 10:51:03 GMT
but nobody has given a valid reason yet! hence why asking. Would you like me to dismiss your pro-reasons so easily? There will be no concerts in Killarney I could say. Sure when was the last one there? When PUC is down the road. I won't say that though. I have spake. In my eyes this project shouldn't be a GAA one only. The stadium should be in a position to generate revenue in other ways which would be funnelled back into the county board. PUC might be down the road but Killarney has just as many selling points maybe more given its room availability,stadium location, tourism infrastructure. |
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Post by homerj on Jul 19, 2023 10:54:34 GMT
but nobody has given a valid reason yet! hence why asking. Would you like me to dismiss your pro-reasons so easily? There will be no concerts in Killarney I could say. Sure when was the last one there? When PUC is down the road. I won't say that though. I have spake. why would you hold a concert in Killarney when the stadium isnt fit for purpose! we all love it and think its great, but the reality is, its a complete and utter disaster of a place when it comes to modern facilities. nobody would pay €100 to watch a concert there |
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keane
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Posts: 1,274
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Post by keane on Jul 19, 2023 10:57:18 GMT
It's not needed and it will never be filled are valid reasons. I'm going to repost this from the last time the discussion came up. Killarney is better capable to host big events such as major festivals, concerts every year. the gaa/lottery probably would give £20m. government the same. business of Killarney a contribution. long term loan paid off by renting it out every year. its a yes from me. Killarney is incapable of hosting a decent homecoming for an All Ireland winning team in July as the place is too mobbed to give up a carpark for a couple of hours. How many major festivals per year do you think the town can comfortably accommodate in addition to what is already scheduled which has it bursting at the seams? You can't get through the place at any time of the day as it is destroyed with cars. Local politicians are crying about being incapable of supporting the tourism industry due to lack of accommodation as it already stands. The rental market for locals is ruined for years by homeowners putting residential housing on AirBnb (in contravention of planning) to take advantage of the hotels' inability to cope with number of visitors. What has changed since the town last failed to maintain a major festival in the stadium? How many weekends in the summer in Killarney don't already have a major event on the schedule? Are we going to put on festivals from April - September so the place won't be available for matches (and pitches ruined) or will we put them on outside of the GAA season? How many people will we get to a festival in Fitzgerald's stadium in October or November? We all laughed when Cork GAA told us they were going to pay for PUC with festivals and concerts (rightly). What lunatic promoter is going to try and take a major act to Killarney when Cork is an hour away with better access, bigger population, more accommodation, better facilities and larger capacity? Festivals and concerts are thrown around every time someone tries to push through a completely unnecessary waste of money vanity project like this. It's a deeply, deeply unserious response to even the basic arguments against this monumental (literally) waste of money. |
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Post by onlykerry on Jul 19, 2023 11:14:11 GMT
With regard to Fitzgerald Stadium can anyone confirm its ownership status - is it 100% owned by the GAA or not - I have often heard mutterings about its ownership status and am only looking for clarity.
I am a big fan of Fitzgerald stadium and have been going to games there for nearly 50 years and have seen many improvements and developments over those years and I agree the stadium needs further development.
The core issue for me is - is the redevelopment for the benefit of the GAA in Kerry or the commercial interests of Killarney. I think the two are being rolled into one and I think the former is the more important one for the vast majority of Kerry GAA supporters and needs to take priority.
If Killarney wants to develop a multi event centre to rival what is already out there (and remember the big one planned for the old Beamish site in Cork) then by all means go do it but don't compromise the best interest of the GAA in Kerry with a hybrid venue that half caters to a multitude of events. I was very unhappy when both Croke Park and PUC were unavailable for GAA games due to concerts and American Football in the past few years and have no interest in a repeat of this in Fitzgerald stadium.
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Post by somethingwitty on Jul 19, 2023 11:16:50 GMT
I'm shocked that people aren't in favour of a new stadium. I would guess that fans of any other sport in the world would be over the moon if they heard their team was ready to revamp a stadium that hasn't been touched in years. Half the current team was probably in primary school when it was last considered a top class stadium. I think it could be another huge string in Killarney's tourism bow if it was able to host concerts. I saw someone above say that why would one hold a concert in Killarney when PUC is so nearby. While its a fair point, I would think Killarney's name for being such a lovely town would attract plenty. They've hosted Westlife and Elton John before, surely if the stadium is done up they might able to attract someone to come and play.
However, I must admit that the traffic and traffic situation it would cause would be a huge problem. Something must be done to ease that issue. However, Killarney itself has an issue regarding parking and traffic, so perhaps the town itself must look into a solution. There was talks roughly a year ago about a potential bypass but I haven't heard anything since. The issue about filling it up regularly I don't understand. Only 3-6 GAA games a year sell over 30,000 tickets a year. If you want a full stadium for each game, then going to Tralee would be more logical then keeping it the same. The best way I can see it making money would by through the use of concerts or perhaps, and this is a mad shout in fairness, hosting a potential American game over here. I saw that they had a college from the states over visiting anyways. If you hosted something like that, surely you'd sell the stadium out. But again as ideas go, that is a bit of a crazy one
If someone disagrees with something I mentioned above, I would be very interested to see why. Is it it just a financial fear, or a lack of belief that we have the right infrastructure in place for it to become a success?
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Post by somethingwitty on Jul 19, 2023 11:24:14 GMT
With regard to Fitzgerald Stadium can anyone confirm its ownership status - is it 100% owned by the GAA or not - I have often heard mutterings about its ownership status and am only looking for clarity. I am a big fan of Fitzgerald stadium and have been going to games there for nearly 50 years and have seen many improvements and developments over those years and I agree the stadium needs further development. The core issue for me is - is the redevelopment for the benefit of the GAA in Kerry or the commercial interests of Killarney. I think the two are being rolled into one and I think the former is the more important one for the vast majority of Kerry GAA supporters and needs to take priority. If Killarney wants to develop a multi event centre to rival what is already out there (and remember the big one planned for the old Beamish site in Cork) then by all means go do it but don't compromise the best interest of the GAA in Kerry with a hybrid venue that half caters to a multitude of events. I was very unhappy when both Croke Park and PUC were unavailable for GAA games due to concerts and American Football in the past few years and have no interest in a repeat of this in Fitzgerald stadium. I was under the impression that it was always owned by Kerry GAA, however I could be wrong. In regards to your second point, I feel like the two will have to work hand in hand. If the GAA requires investors for the project, they will want to receive some sort of return on investment. This will probably require them to host a few concerts and events to keep everything ticking over. You are absolutely right however, that it should impact the fixtures that should be organised to take place there. If it could be held when the intercounty season is over or on a break, or when clubs are playing county league games, I would see no issue. But maybe that is just wishful thinking |
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keane
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Post by keane on Jul 19, 2023 11:50:48 GMT
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