A High Court hearing involving Thomas Davis GAA club, Shamrock Rovers Football Club and South Dublin County Council (SDCC) was adjourned today and will reconvene on Tuesday.
Thomas Davis have asked the court for permission to bring a legal challenge to a decision that the partially built Tallaght stadium - earmarked for Shamrock Rovers - should be a soccer only venue.
Council for Thomas Davis presented their case to Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill this afternoon and Shamrock Rovers' legal representatives then replied with their submission.
The lengthy hearing was adjourned due to time constraints and the football club's legal team are scheduled to conclude their submission next week.
SDCC are standing by to finish construction on the stadium but such work has been stalled by the judicial review taken by the Tallaght-based GAA club.
In December 2005, SDCC councillors said the Tallaght stadium would serve as a multi-sport arena, containing a pitch large enough for Gaelic games.
But that decision was quickly reversed when Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue said Government funding would be withdrawn if the stadium was used for anything other than soccer.
O'Donoghue has repeatedly reiterated those sentiments since and, indeed, did so again this afternoon when reacting to a tabloid newspaper report that claimed the Government had provided just €19m towards the redevelopment of Croke Park.
"The Government has allocated almost €114 million towards the redevelopment of Croke Park, which is considerably more than the €19 million, being portrayed as fact by these anonymous sources within the organisation," he said.
". . . in view of this unprecedented level of Government financial support for the GAA and the spirit of fairness and generosity, which should characterise sport in all its forms, it is a source of great disappointment to all genuine sports people that the stadium in Tallaght is being delayed by the action being taken by a GAA club."
"I also find it quite extraordinary," he added, "that the GAA should wish to play gaelic games in a soccer ground given their outright opposition to soccer being played in their own grounds."
Thomas Davis officials have said their club would respect Shamrock Rovers as anchor tenants in Tallaght but believe the ground should be opened to Gaelic Games.
• The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected an appeal by Belarus to have their Uefa under-19 Championship match against the Republic of Ireland replayed. Belarus filed a protest to Uefa and subsequently to CAS requesting a replay after losing to Ireland last October.
The protest concerned an error made by the match referee who booked a Belarussian player in the opening minutes of the game. The same player later received a second yellow and was sent off. However, the first yellow card was given to the wrong player and the referee did not realise his error until after the match.
"We welcome this decision by CAS which confirms the Republic of Ireland's place in the elite phase of the Uefa U19 Championships and the FAI looks forward to hosting Bulgaria, Germany and Hungary in May," said a spokesman for the FAI today.
