GAA president Joe McDonagh welcomed news of the Stadium Ireland development. He praised its recognition of sport as well as its inclusion of facilities for gaelic games and reiterated the GAA's commitment to use the venue when it is completed in five years.

"This a further addition to the sporting infrastructure of the country," he said. "At a time when we are enjoying economic success as a country, investment in sporting facilities is something we very much welcome. "I think it needs to be expressed - and I do so as the head of the largest sporting and cultural organisation in the country - the new found respect that sport has in the country as reflected in today's announcement."

From an early stage, the GAA supported the idea of a national stadium with the promise of at least two major matches a year despite the need to fund the ongoing development of Croke Park. It had originally been envisaged that league finals might present the obvious opportunity for fulfilling this undertaking.

Now that the combining of the league and championship is being proposed by the Football Development Committee, such prospects might disappear and McDonagh was reluctant to specify what events might send to Stadium Ireland.

He did, however, allude to the possibility of staging floodlit matches there - an idea in its infancy but one ruled out by the current planning conditions governing Croke Park.

"I cannot look into the crystal ball given our structures and the proposed changes to them. But I can state that the GAA always felt that if it was to be called a national stadium that it should be able to house gaelic games. We have a commitment expressed already (to play matches in the new stadium). This will happen not alone in my successor's time but after his time."

Other matches which might be considered are All-Ireland semi-finals or even Leinster championship matches earlier in the summer.

In the past, provincial finals have been staged on a Croke Park pitch scarred by the holding of pop concerts. The presence of Stadium Ireland will give the GAA more options in relation to holding concerts during the prime months for such promotions - May to July - although planning permission severely limits the number of concerts that can be held there.

There is another financial implication of yesterday's announcement. It has long been speculated that were the GAA to repeal Rule 42 which prohibits the playing of other games on its property, the prospect of soccer and rugby internationals being played at Croke Park would be a lucrative possibility for the association. That potential has now evaporated.

McDonagh emphasised that the GAA were planning to complete the Croke Park redevelopment with their own funds although further Government assistance would be welcomed when they moved the phase four, the final part of the project. To date the GAA has received £25 million (£5 million towards phase one and the remainder towards phases two and three).