I imagine the potential audience base for matches is higher in Ireland given Europe on the doorstep coupled with Ryanair, hence the desire to get it right from the get go :) New Zealand is relatively isolated, geographically, due to the expense in getting there. I hope the GAA back this.

Won’t argue with that Ciaran as I haven’t read up on it.

I will say this though, it was a wasted opportunity for the kiwis. I know some ardent Irish, Kiwi and Aussie rugby fans here in Brisbane who didn’t bother going as hotels, flights and tickets were extortionately priced. They only catered for the rich and their tourism will not benefit in the long run as much as it could have

My recollection of the event may have dimmed with the passing of time – but I don’t recall it being overly expensive.

As always there were a few shortsighted hoteliers who gouged the price and they were by and large the exception and were empty. The British media made a big deal about prices before the games, but was a red herring.

I went to 3 games one of which i paid $50. The bigger games and the later rounds were expensive, but were comparable to the price at any international sporting event and anyone expecting pay bottom dollar for a quarter or semi final ticket were disappointed.

Certainly the prices in the local bars did not increase during the event and the prices at the fan zone were very reasonable.

There may or may not be long run benefits from this – but it is impossible to measure this, so not worth conjecture.

“Ireland would be the focus of the sporting world for the best part of a month” = LOL

Rugby is only played by a few brit colonies and the French.

It’s a sport for the rich D4′s and no one will be watching it in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Scandanavia… the list goes onwhere zero will be watching rugger bugger!!

Waste of money & time bidding to host it just to please those sitting around their donnybrook dinner parties while the rest of us starve

South Africa and Argentina are where exactly?

You’re right Jim, it would be a great boost for the country. But the GAA should not, in any way, have to pickup the tab.

As for Paddy’s comment… What utter nonsense.

Focus of the sporting world is a bit of a stretch, but I agree everyone can be a winner here .

You reckon rugby is only a sport for D4s and ex-British colonies? The 2007 World Cup was watched by a cumulative worldwide audience of 4 billion people. 4 Billion. The audience for the 2011 edition was even bigger. It was the most watched sporting event in the world in both years. If you reckon having 4 billion people watching Ireland run a successful international event is bad for tourism and our image around the world you need your head checked.

http://www.rwc2011.irb.com/destinationnewzealand/news/newsid=2036054.html

Grossly exaggerated figures 4billion me arse

Strange how this 80 million is always brought up to attack the GAA but nobody remembers the 200 million given to redevelop Landsdowne Road (sorry, the Aviva Stafium)!

Hey ronan at least the gaa built their stadium correctly with less than half the handout the jocks and fai got and didn’t have to sell off the naming rights either (to an insurance company that’s not even really in Ireland anymore) so cop on

Ronan, I think you should be reminded of the huge benefits the GAA has brought to this country over the years. As an organisation it’s not perfect by any means but you’re just taking a cheap shot. I’m sure they will back this bid and good on them if they do.

Ooooh Ronan you can’t win this one

But Ronán you’re forgetting about Rule 5.1(b) (formerly Rule 42) of the Gaelic Athletic Association Official Guide (Part I) which states:
Grounds controlled by Association units shall not be used or permitted to be used, for Horse Racing, Greyhound Racing, or for Field Games others than those sanctioned by Central Council.
(Note: Central Council shall have the power to authorise the use of Croke Park for games other than those controlled by the Association.).

Translated this means the GAA, thanks to their good friends in Fianna Fáil who handed over millions of taxpayers’ money to them to build Croke Park on a wink and a nod, can maintain a ‘principled’ objection to all ‘foreign’ sports unless, of course, the price is right!

Barry,

Sounds like good business sense to me. Very well run organisation

Ah yes the old 80 million, much of which was refunded through VAT on products used during construction and the income tax of hundreds of workers on the stadium. Of course lets also forget the benefits to the economy on match days and all year round through concerts and conferences and the continued employment given by the stadium all year round thus creating more tax income. The GAA like it or not was the only sporting body to get the finger out and develop its main stadium for the benefit of itself and the economy when others were satisfied to sit in rubble and squalor and wait for a Government to make a decision for them. If you wish to bash the GAA find a better argument than this

I don’t blame the Grab All Association (GAA), I blame the people for electing their Fianna Fáil friends who casually handed over millions of taxpayers’ money to an amateur organisation without so much as a stipulation in writing that Croke Park would be opened up to other sports. Indeed, but for the avarice of the Grab All Association, who made an absolute fortune from the IRFU and FAI, the archaic ‘Easter 1916’ Rule 42 might never have been changed. Incidentally, I do not accept you can seek to deflect attention away from the indisputable fact that the GAA received a massive unconditional handout from the taxpayer by making reference to the sheer ineptitude of the FAI.

Barry,

Would it be standard procedure to have a clause written into all Government sporting grants that require any upgraded facilities to be openly used by all sporting organisations within the country?

Like the ?300,000 given to a private tennis club in South Dublin a couple of months back… Can I play 5-a-side on their new courts?

@ If the tennis club received a public grant, then it should be open to members of the public to play tennis. Otherwise, the State is subsiding private enterprise.

Barry,

There was ?26m given out in government grants a couple of months back, to 100′s of various sporting organisations.

By your logic, from previous posts, all those clubs should open up their doors to other sporting codes, ie tennis clubs to 5 a side soccer, badminton courts to volleyball teams, a basketball court to indoor soccer…. Or should those terms only apply to the ‘Grab All Association’ as you so maturely referred to it.

Exactly Robert just childish (jealous?) remarks from Barry

Always bring a towel??

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Rule%2042

come on Sean when has any other sport brought community spirit to Galway as the men of 1980 or 98 have. The greatest sportsmen to come out of Galway have been predominantly GAA men.

Exactly why would the GAA pay for the upgrade of their stadia to accommodate a tournament that a rival sporting organisation wants to host???

Really Kevin?What about Chick Deacy who won a Premier League with Aston Villa in the 1980s?Or the Galway United team that won the FAI Cup in 1991?

Have you seen the standard of facilities the GAA has up and down the country? Thats where the money goes. Some very ignorant comments in here.

Eh.. the IRFU / FAI received c€191 mil to build Lansdowne Road!!!

The members of the GAA are Tax Payers themselves … so they can argue for the money to go to their organistion.
Also such a rubbish point you make about amateur status. Surely it’s a good thing that the money is not just used to pay salaries of players, but instead put into world class facilities.
Also I say this as a football/soccer fan .. not a GAA follower.