Madam, - I see in your edition of May 19th a computer graphic of a redevelopment of the IRFU stadium at Lansdowne Road at a cost of €300 million. The capacity is to be 50,000 and the stadium is not to be complete until 2009.
Next month the European soccer championships will be held at 10 venues in Portugal. In two-and-a-half years the Portuguese have built six completely new stadiums and redeveloped four more at a total cost of €500 million.
They are all adequately large and in some cases exquisitely beautiful. The main stadium in Lisbon, Estadio Da Luz, is absolutely state-of-the-art - capacity 67,000, magnificent design. Cost: €96 million. Some of the smaller stadiums with capacities of 30,000 to 40,000 cost an average of €36 million.
Is it time to call for another tribunal - this time before the money is spent? - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL J. DUFFY, Lynn Cross, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.