WHY BUILD ANOTHER STADIUM IN DUBLIN?

Last Saturday the Irish rugby team played Scotland in Croke Park, in heart of north side Dublin. Since the first games of rugby were played in Croke Park in 2007, following the decision of the GAA to allow games other than Gaelic games be played there, there have been many wonderful highly charged occasions following the Irish rugby team.
The most notable and inspiring game was when Ireland beat England in February 2007. This scribe was lucky enough to be present at what was a wonderful sporting occasion that did more for Anglo-Irish relations than decades of political arguments had failed to achieve.
The first game of rugby played at Croke Park two weeks before the England encounter resulted in a last minute robbery try by France, which ultimately deprived us of the Grand Slam.
After that, things went downhill and we had a disastrous World Cup in France of which enough has been said already.
Italy played in Croke Park in the first of the Six Nations championship and Ireland scraped home against them. France then gave us a walloping in Paris and we now arrive at the Scotland game needing to win.
The form of the team is not the point we are trying to arrive at; instead, one only has to look at the interest for the game to realize that Croke Park was full to the rafters with over 82,000 people. Tickets were like gold dust, even with an obnoxious 100-euro price tag. The rugby brigade is a hardy animal and will support the team through thick and thin, irrespective of the importance or not of the game.
Croke Park, particularly after that historic English game has become a new home to the Irish rugby team, almost a temple indeed, because of the manner of that victory and all the political ramifications that went with it.
With the price of the tickets as a barometer, the GAA are obviously cleaning up and laughing all the way to the bank.
The supporters, many of whom would break every traffic light in Drumcondra on their way to the airport, such was their fear of the area, are now happily downing pints in Quinns and The Big Tree and even in Fagans, Berties favourite watering hole after a tough day at the Mahon Tribunal.
In short, the rugby crowd has taken to Croke Park like ducks to water and why wouldn’t they? It is one of the best stadiums in Europe and yet in their ostrich-like position with their head in the sand, the IRFU are building a mini Croke Park at Landsdowne Road that will only hold half of the capacity of the Drumcondra venue.
Is there no degree of common sense amongst blazers in both organizations to do a deal and keep Croke Park as the main rugby venue?
It is too late now of course, but I feel that if the IRFU and the GAA know now what they didn’t know then, you can be sure Landsdowne Road would be a building site – for offices and apartments!