Louth GAA stadium plans resumes

Good news came out of the special meeting between the County Stadium Committee and the Louth clubs on Wednesday night. A breakdown of the project's funding sources and a much clearer image of costs were presented.

In summary, those present were told that the stadium would be built at a cost of €23.5 million and would be finished in two phases.

The majority of the financing, totaling €18.25 million, will come from the government and Croke Park and will include funds from the IIP programme. Louth GAA is required to provide the final €5.2 million.

In addition to the Louth delegation on the Stadium Committee, John Horan, the chairman of the committee, and members Niall Erskine and Justin Travers were also present at the meeting on Wednesday night.

The meeting's chair, Sean McClean, provided more information about the project's progress. He said that a project manager has already been hired and that changes to the stadium's design might be necessary before the project goes out to bid.

The capacity will stay at 14,000, and Phase I will cost €13.5 million, of which €12.25 will come from the government and Central and Leinster Council and the remaining €1.25 million from Louth GAA. This is because they were able to make some savings.

To make the site playable, phase 1 will involve building the pitch, floodlights, stand, barriers and gates over the course of about 15 months.

Therefore, phase two will cost €10 million, of which €6 million will come from government funds and Croke Park/Leinster Council, and the remaining 4 million from Louth GAA.

For Louth, the main concern is how they will raise the €5.2 million required. They expect to raise a sizable amount of money through the ticket sale, stadium naming rights, pitch signs, and stadium rentals for other sports and events.

Chairman Sean McClean then suggested that the present Darver charge, which clubs will continue to pay through March of next year, be extended to become the County Grounds levy in order to cover the anticipated €1.5 million gap. Clubs would have to pay up to €300 a month for this, which would span a 15-year period beginning in 2025.

The delegates will now return to their clubs to seek approval for the idea; however, Sean McClean cautioned that the stadium cannot be constructed without the introduction of a new club fee.

Delegates received assurances from the County Chairman that Louth GAA will manage the Stadium and that all proceeds from hosting other events will go towards repaying the Grounds' debt.

Phases 1 and 2 may overlap, depending on the pace of progress, but Stadium Committee member Justin Travers assured that no work will be done without funds in place beforehand.

There is no specific date designated for the start of the work or a deadline for its completion. However, at this point the project appears to be back on track with a more concrete strategy in place now that the ball is in motion.