GAELIC GAMES:THE CONTROVERSIAL safety fencing on Croke Park's Hill 16 won't be in place for the remainder of the spring fixtures. Spectators noticed last Saturday that the screens had been removed for Dublin's league matches against Tipperary and Cork under lights.
Introduced last year to prevent feared safety hazards caused by crowd invasions, the fencing did its job in the All-Ireland finals in September, keeping the field clear and allowing on-field presentations and a lap of honour. It remained in place until last week.
Dublin have three more football league matches at the venue and the hurlers will play Kilkenny next month. St Patrick’s Day will also see the now traditional All-Ireland club finals. The barriers will remain down until after the Take That concerts on June 18th-19th, after which they will be re-installed for the big championship matches.
“We kept the fencing there for the International rules,” according to stadium director Peter McKenna, “and only took it down in the last week. There was no specific reason other than we had a bit of spare time and we needed to take it down before the summer when the concerts take place.
“It also enables us to protect the fencing from the elements for a few months and we’ll take it out again for the summer.”
Meanwhile, the GAA has clarified the situation governing children’s matches at half-time during league matches. It was initially suggested that an announcement made in Portlaoise meant no more juvenile games – a feature of senior matches for nearly two decades – would take place during the intervals because of health and safety concerns.
But according to a spokesperson that is not the case.
“The situation has nothing to do with Cumann na mBunscoil matches. There were none of those fixtures arranged because of the weather and the fact that there were two matches organised for the venue at the weekend.
“The announcement about safety concerns was to do with children accessing the pitch on their own at half-time.
“There are no implications for the organised juvenile matches familiar to followers around the country.”
Meanwhile, Munster have announced that this year’s provincial schools finals will be broadcast live on the provincial council’s website. Sunday’s Harty Cup final between Limerick colleges Árd Scoil Rís and Charleville CBS from the Gaelic Grounds will be followed a week later by the football Corn Uí Mhuirí final, featuring Coláiste Chríost Rí from Cork and Dingle’s PS Chorca Dhuibhne, from the Dr Croke’s ground in Killarney.
This afternoon sees the launch of UCD and the Sigerson, by Irial Glynn, which looks back at the Dublin college’s involvement in the third-level competition, which this year celebrates its centenary.
The book features reminiscences from, among others, Benny Gaughran, Dr Pat O’Neill, Ogie Moran and Breandán Ó hAnnaidh. Next month’s finals weekend takes place in UCD.
* A free seminar for clubs dealing with finances and on-line fund-raising will be held in the City West Hotel tommorrow week, March 3rd. Organised by MyClubFinances.com, the Galway company whose clients include clubs and county boards, rugby clubs and other sporting and community groups, the seminar is an opportunity for clubs who are thinking about looking for convenient and safe ways of raising funds.
For further information, see www.myclubfinances.com.
