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THE ROYAL DUBLIN Society (RDS) has secured the go-ahead for a new three-tier 6,481-capacity Anglesea Stand at the venue that is set to increase the current €24.7 million annual spend by Leinster rugby supporters attending rugby matches at the stadium.
This follows Dublin City Council giving the plan the go-ahead after finding that the planned stand will “provide a modern stand facility with enhanced hospitality facilities for visitors and patrons”.
The RDS told the city council that the increased capacity is essential for securing some of the high-profile events which the RDS is expected to host to remain attractive in an increasingly competitive field.
The existing Anglesea Stand was built in the early 1930s and can accommodate 5,743 people, and its proposed replacement will accommodate 6,481 patrons – representing an increase of 738.
The new plan involves a new three-level grandstand with a connected two-level hospitality and services building called the ‘Pocket Building’.
Planning had previously been granted for the redevelopment of the stand but the new stand won’t be completed before this permission expires, necessitating the need for the new planning application.
Consultants for the RDS told the council that the multi-purpose RDS arena “is a significant contributor to the economy of Dublin with an overall estimated combined economic impact of €136.5 million to €166 million for rugby games, concert events and the annual horse show”.
Sponsorship potential
The application has the support of the Irish Rugby Football Union with the chief executive of the IRFU, Philip Browne, telling Dublin City Council that the proposed development will underpin the Leinster rugby operations at the RDS.
Browne stated that “the new development will enhance the sponsorship potential of Leinster rugby thereby helping it to retain its best players and to continue to develop the sport in Dublin and throughout Leinster”.
He went on to state that the “proposed redeveloped Anglesea Stand will enhance and rejuvenate the facility which is no longer compatible with visitor expectations”.
CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, Ronan Murphy, and CEO of Leinster Rugby, Michael Dawson, also wrote to the council to endorse the plan.
Murphy wrote that the proposed redevelopment of the stand “is a necessary part of the infrastructure that will support the further growth in the sports horse industry which supports 14,057 jobs in the sector and is worth €816 million to the Irish economy”.
As part of the application, the direct spend by spectators at Leinster games at the RDS is listed as €1.9 million per match with the cumulative direct expenditure at €24.7 million.
When stuff like this happens you just hope the likes of Hourigan find the principles they appeared to have before the government formation and bring the whole thing down. We need a competent and transparent government and it’s clear the current is neither.
@Keith O’Reilly: but who would you suggest as their replacement. We’re not spoiled for choice.
@Keith O’Reilly: principles? she was in the negotiations for the programme for government. when that concluded she decided she didn’t like the deal she had developed and agreed so she threatened a split in the greens and voted against government.
Once again Neasa Hourigan is one of the few TD’s in government with even a grain of principles.
It’s so disheartening to see Eamonn Ryan and Catherine Martin once again directly contradicting pre-election, beyond a joke how unrecognisable their actions are compared to their promises.
What’s sad is we need a Green Party in this country at this time and they’re now polling at 2% and facing being wiped out again and another decade to rebuild support thanks to the absolute frauds and sellouts in Ryan and Martin.
Surely a heave has to come from the other members if they intend to have any future in politics after this election and I hope they don’t wait until it’s too late like the Greens in 2011. Otherwise we’re heading into a climate catastrophe without Green representatives.
@Rochelle: At least spectacular half wit Ryan did something, he single handedly destroyed the green charlatans in a couple of years. Well done lad.
@Rochelle: they don’t care about any body but themselfs trough munchers the lot of them . .can’t believe the people fell for the save the planet bit again from them I did the first time .
@Rochelle: once Eamonn and Catherine are allowed to keep jacking up diesel and petrol they have no objection to anything else that happens in government
The opposition have had their political football confiscated and they’re not happy! A great day, let’s get on and build the thing now as quickly as possible, enough time has been lost for women and infant patients already.
@Eoin Roche: let’s not build in haste. Something this big being rushed through will not end well.
@Eoin Roche: You realise Neasa Hourigan is a government TD, right?
@Keith O’Reilly: Boom
@Keith O’Reilly: I remain to be convinced of that! But no, I’m actually talking about Murphy and Shortall, quoted there in the article, as you well know.
@Dave Barrett: Quite right Dave, it’s only been on the drawing board for 9 years so far, not nearly enough! And Holles Street is only 140 years old, I’m sure it can soldier on for another decade or two with 6 or 8 new mothers to a ward and a bathroom. Perfect for dignity and infection control, I’m sure you’ll agree. Not to mention Mothers who have lost babies recovering alongside newly delivered infants and their happy families. That must be awesome. How long more would you care to wait before its not considered to have been rushed? 5 years? 15?
@Eoin Roche: as it stands the building won’t be ready for ten years
@Eoin Roche: You said it yourself, it’s been almost a decade in some form of planning and the best they can come up with is a 3 century lease for some nominal fee (why even have a fee of a tenner?). This needs to be built, no question, and it’ll be built under these Lampoon terms because it’s simply taken too long to get it this far amd it’s too late to go turn back. People expect and deserve infinitely better long-term capital planning from those running the country. People are right to question decisions like this since it’s embarassingly obvious that this and previous governments have form when it comes to making monumental f#ck ups with taxpayer money.
@Eoin Roche: Billions of taxpayers money being spent on land owned by a private company with dubious connections to an organisation that at best is corrupt. The mantra of separating Church and State has now been copper fastened for the next 300 years.
@Donal Desmond: with dubious connections with an organisation that is at best corrupt and yet you want SF to be our government?
Get the thing built, we ll still be here in 300 years time if we need to bring every headbanger along the journey!
I was in Holles st recently and speaking to the staff it was very apparent there was big support for moving.
Fair play to the government for kicking on, I for 1 am with them in this one
Opposition are playing with people lives by wanting to delay the NMH. Shame on them
@Patrick O Connell: How? Who has died because of the care they’ve received in Holles Street? Nah, call me cynical but methinks this is just your Fianna Fáil roots showing Patrick,anything to try to lambast the opposition eh?
@Patrick O Connell: Also, Neasa Hourigan is a member of a government party, so not the opposition.
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: do you even know why you are objecting?? You must be still taking orders from Belfast
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: if the vast majority of the doctors and medical stafff want this to happen than anyone who opposed this is just trying to point score. 300 years lease is ownership and we don’t waste. 400 million on purchasing the site. Government bashing at the expense of the health of the women and children. Nothing new from SF and their mob
Prediction: Once they start building the hospital the ownership question will NEVER be mentioned again. You heard it here first
It’s all meaningless if the government does not oppose the motion.
Really Nessa Hourigan Green T.D should follow her convictions and resign from the Green Party. She is a very able individual but may find it difficult to get reelected in Dublin Central as a Independent considering SF, FG & Soc Dems hold a seat with the Greens. But she is clearly unhappy, about being in Gov with FG & FF.
Sinn Féin in NI is centrist, SF in the the republic is leftist. What the hell are you? As someone who wants to support leftist parties I struggle to support Sinn Féin.
@Pete Gilmartin: So support PBP?
@Pete Gilmartin: You misspelled ‘populist’ I think.
I’ve made a note in my diary to ensure that when this lease expires that the equivalent of what we paid in rents is reimbursed to the State.
Just shows what a waste of time it is being in opposition in our system – Mary Harney was right.
Are the various government Ministers signing off on this afraid of going to hell if they stand up for the people against the Church. That or there are a lot of backhanders involved. Another disaster waiting to happen.
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