The Taoiseach led a broad political welcome in the Republic for the GAA decision yesterday, but warned that it did not necessarily resolve the country's long-term stadium needs, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political CorrespondentPolitical reaction
Bertie Ahern said the change would be "welcomed by sports people everywhere and it is a very good thing for the GAA itself." He said it would be very good for the image of the GAA and the country for its stadium, one of the best in Europe, to be seen by an international audience.
But he warned that people should remember that this was simply a temporary opening up of Croke Park for other sports while Lansdowne Road was being redeveloped. Ireland needed two "world-class stadiums", and he would have preferred to see the second one built at Abbotstown.
"We are going to spend an enormous amount of money on Lansdowne. The decision was ultimately made not to go to Abbotstown and to go to Lansdowne. We will have a second stadium: it's going to be in Lansdowne," he said.
He hoped Lansdowne Road could be turned into the required second world-class stadium but "I will have my doubts until the day it opens because I just think it is in a very built-up area. It would be better to have gone to an open space. But I couldn't win enough support for that. I am glad Lansdowne Road is going to be redeveloped. We need two stadiums and whatever happens in the long term we need two stadiums. I do not see Croke Park being used long-term by other sports. I don't think that will happen, quite frankly."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny also welcomed the GAA decision, saying its symbolism could not be underestimated.
"It removes any perception of intransigence that opponents of the GAA used to use against the organisation, that it was afraid to move, that it was afraid of the future. The fact that the decision was taken in secret [ ballot] made the endorsement all the more powerful.
He said it was also "an endorsement of the strong leadership and the courageous voice of the president of the GAA, Seán Kelly, who was often a lone voice in the last number of years in talking about this."
It was remarkable that the GAA was a voluntary organisation that could be joined for €5, yet it had a world-class stadium and had now decided to allow others use it.
"I think it is an enlightened decision by an organisation which is not afraid of the future, and I welcome it very much."
He noted that there were still details of any agreement between the GAA and other sporting bodies to be worked out.
He said the FAI had been talking of making a contribution of €200,000 to the GAA in exchange for the use of the stadium, while Peter Quinn of the GAA had been talking about €2 million.
Labour's spokesman on sport Jack Wall TD also welcomed the decision and the "spirit of generosity" in which it was made. He said the GA delegates had "done a service not just to other sporting organisations, but the country itself." It was absolutely proper that the GAA's own games should continue to receive priority "but I hope that it will now be possible to accommodate major internationals for the period of Lansdowne's refurbishment and avoid what would have been an embarrassing situation for everyone by seeing these matches go abroad.
"As a life-long GAA activist I am well aware of the pride that members of the association take in the great achievement that was the development of Croke Park. I am now delighted that the wider sporting world will get an opportunity to appreciate this magnificent stadium that is such a tribute to one of the greatest amateur sporting organisations in the world," he said.