All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
This is an absolute disgrace
By Aidan O'Connor
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
The All-Ireland football and hurling finals are to be played on British soil in Croke Park for the first time in the GAA's proud 125-year history.
The entire surface at Croke Park is being ripped up to facilitate U2's concerts next weekend but will be replaced by new sods sourced in England.
Croke Park is defending its decision to source all of the stadium's new sod from a specialist turf farm in Scunthorpe. But the stadium is coming under increasing pressure over its decision to depend almost exclusively on British companies to provide pitch advice, seed and turf.
A convoy of UK and Northern Ireland heavy machinery moved onto the pitch on Sunday to begin work on the €1.2m project.
The entire surface is being torn up and tonnes of sand are being spread across a bare surface to cater for the thousands of U2 fans expected to hit Croker next weekend.
A completely new surface will then be planted, farmed in the UK and jointly paid for by U2 and Croke Park.
Croke Park has hired Clive Richardson, a company based in Armagh, to do the contract work.
However, the stadium's decision to hire British consultants Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) to advise on the project has infuriated one Fianna Fail senator.
"I think this is symbolically a terrible signal for the GAA to be sending out. The GAA are our national sporting institution and Croke Park is our national stadium," said Senator Mark Daly.
"Given the history of the stadium and the pitch I think the GAA should be doing more to source sod from within Ireland rather than importing it. I'm not sure anyone involved in the GAA would be too comfortable with the notion of the All-Ireland finals being played on British soil," he added.
But Croke Park defended its decision last night and dismissed claims of matches being played on British spoil as "ill-informed".
Stadium Director Peter McKenna said: "We're not playing games on British soil. It's a strange way to look at it. We need to see the bigger picture. It's an ill-informed opinion."
Mr McKenna said that Ireland does not have the specialist turf farms or grass seed nurseries that can provide Croke Park with what it needs. Experts looked at three turf farms in the UK and one in Slovenia before it made its decision.
U2 have committed to paying 30pc of the €1.2m bill with Croke Park picking up the rest of the tab.
Source Irish Independent
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...-14405349.html
Another page set up by a group calling themselves the "Killowen Young Republicans" promises to "protect the Republican communities from the PSNI, hoods and most of all loyalists." The group's photo album contains numerous images of youths in balaclavas posing with a range of republican flags as well as a handguns and automatic weapons.
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
you're reading too much into it mate
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
not atall they complain about the irish youth playing football and rugby and not sticking to their traditional sports, they call the people brits who choose to play those other sports than gaelic, on the 125th anniversary they play the finals on british soil. The GAA are hypocrites the fukin cunts, I get annoyed over these wee things too easily deep breaths lol
Another page set up by a group calling themselves the "Killowen Young Republicans" promises to "protect the Republican communities from the PSNI, hoods and most of all loyalists." The group's photo album contains numerous images of youths in balaclavas posing with a range of republican flags as well as a handguns and automatic weapons.
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
honestly, it's soil at the end of the day, dirt. Who cares, only small factor compared to the 80,000 people celebrating Irish culture on the day
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
So let me get this right... the matches will actually be played in Ireland, its just the turf that's from England? Jeeeez it must be a slow news day for this to make the press.
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
Is this a joke?
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
If you actually read into it, you'd relise that the reason there using foreign soil is because the native grasses of ireland have a shallow root and not suitable as a top class surface.Originally Posted by SouthDChoir
Someone better make a phonecall to the CIRA and blow up Croke Park because there such traitors, Seriously have you nothing bigger to worry about than the type of soil being used in Croker, go get yourself a hobby
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
your constant babble about the CIRA is getting old lad ye really needa try a new topic maybe go for the Fianna Fail for a change of scenery?
Another page set up by a group calling themselves the "Killowen Young Republicans" promises to "protect the Republican communities from the PSNI, hoods and most of all loyalists." The group's photo album contains numerous images of youths in balaclavas posing with a range of republican flags as well as a handguns and automatic weapons.
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
an absolute non story if there ever was one.
no farm in Ireland produces the right turf and they just happened to be able to source it in Britain.big deal!
if this bothers some people,i wonder what they make of the fact that the ash used for making hurleys is primarily purchased in England or India
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
oh the irony, look at your profile picture you bitter little tit.
The soil in croker what will these people come up with next for there hatred of all things English
Last edited by Buzzbhoy; 15-07-2009 at 03:32 PM.
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
catch yourself on mate, the matches are being played in croke park, dublin, which last time i checked was in ireland not england
It's not the creed or nationality that counts, it's the man himself
Celtic - more than just a club
1312
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
do people get paid for writing this shite? who actually gives a fuck
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
Aren't hurls made from English ash trees?
Yes I suppose it makes the GAA slight hypocrites but what's new there?
Proud we march behind the banner, firm we'll stand behind our men
We will have them free to help us, cheer on the Celtic once again
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
while i couldn't give a fuck where the ash or turf come's from ,i am bothered by the fact that the GAA didn't even search for an Irish contractor
surely its against the GAA's constitution to not even give Irish companies the chance to tender an offer
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
Theres no Irish Contractors with the same expertise unfortuatley, we dont have the stadia here for such a company to exist
Re: All-Ireland finals to be played on British soil.
had Irish contractors been given adequate notice the turf could easily have been grown in Ireland.they weren't given the notice because the GAA knew they'd get it cheaper in England anyway
the GAA alone has more than thirty stadiums with a capacity of over 10 k,so the stadia are there
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