Tag Archives: cusack park

AN ad-hoc group, representing Clare people with disabilities, has secured a compromise as regards their seating accommodation in the plans for the upgrade of Cusack Park. In the plans being prepared by the Clare County GAA Board for the revamp of the stand at the county grounds, areas at either end of the stand were initially earmarked to accommodate wheelchair users. However, people with disabilities, who are loyal GAA supporters, were incensed with this proposed positioning, leading to a meeting on Monday night with officials of the county board at which a compromise was reached. Under the new plans presented to the group, wheelchair users will be facilitated with 22 disability accessible seats and 22 seats for carers in a position between the 21m and 50m line on the Cloister side of the stand. In addition to benefiting from covered accommodation, wheelchair users can now look forward to having a much better viewing point on big match days in Cusack …

CLARE County Council is seeking further information from Clare County GAA Board on the proposed €2.5m redevelopment of the Southern Stand at Cusack Park, following three separate submissions on facilities for disabled fans. The county board applied for planning permission on October 30 to remove the existing roof of the Southern Stand, erect a new roof complete with camera box accommodation and rear access stairs, and to build a new toilet block adjacent to the stand. An application was also submitted for a new turnstiles block and boundary wall. Clare County Council has now written to the county board to say that, “concerns remain regarding the provision of adequate disabled access and viewing points within the proposed development,” and has requested an access statement which, “demonstrates how the proposal in its current format provides for the requirements of Universal Design” – [the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest …

THE provision of a car park, as part of the re-development of Cusack Park in Ennis, cannot proceed for six years because of the presence of the invasive Japanese knotweed. This comes as a serious setback for Clare GAA, who had counted on a new 200-space car park as a major income-generating source and had reached agreement with Clare County Council in relation to this. The six-year treatment plan was considered to be the most cost-effective way to address the problem, the alternative being to clear the site to a considerable depth and store the contaminated soil and weeds in isolation. It’s understood that would have cost in the region of €150,000. Delegates at this week’s county board meeting were told that the first year’s treatment has been applied in accordance with guidelines and experts in the area of dealing with the problem had been engaged. Meanwhile, delegates were told at Tuesday’s meeting that clubs will have to pay a …

That 14 of the starting 15 for Thurles Sarsfields in last weekend’s senior hurling final have represented Tipperary teams in recent years, clearly indicates the challenge that faces Cratloe in Sunday’s Munster senior semi-final at Cusack Park. Munster champions in 2012, before being shocked in the All-Ireland semi-final by Kilcormac-Killoughey from Offaly, Thurles were knocked out of the Tipperary race early last season by Nenagh. Their victory last Sunday marked their fifth Tipperary senior title since 2005, after a gap of 31 years, and their 33rd in all. Amongst those who have featured in their last five wins are goalie Paddy McCormack, Lar Corbett and team captain, Pa Bourke. Five members of the Tipperary panel that contested the 2014 All-Ireland senior final are from Thurles and will play on Sunday. Padraic, Ronan and Denis Maher, Michael Cahill and Lar Corbett are key players and Cratloe are sure to have their hands full when they come up against them, while Billy …

Seven years after a proposed move to a greenfield site came unstuck, Clare GAA is set to lodge plans for an estimated €2.5m refurbishment of its spiritual home, Cusack Park. At the end of 2007, Clare GAA clubs voted by 61 votes to eight to sell Cusack Park to the Aisling Chiosóg consortium, led by Bernard McNamara, Noel Connellan and Sean Lyne, and move to Doora. The sale price for Cusack Park was €84.4 million, a fee that would fund a new state-of-the-art stadium, with expanded capacity, a couple of miles away on the Quin Road. The plan for Cusack Park was to develop it into a major town centre retail development, at a cost of some €350 million. However, the plans hit a major stumbling block when members of Ennis Town Council rejected re-zoning Cusack Park for a commercial development. It is also believed that Green Party-led recommendations at the time, regarding building on flood plains, would have militated …

Talk of making history by wining a third successive Munster U-21 hurling title this Wednesday evening at Cusack Park doesn’t interest Donal Moloney, Clare’s joint manager. “We are not interested in history. This is a new team, the last 3 teams have been distinct teams, there have been common players but this is a new group of guys. It’s a different team which has to find its own spirit and its own life. This is their Munster final to win, it’s not a team together for 3 years”, the Scariff native said after seeing the team defeat Tipperary in a cracking semi-final that required extra time “We respect the fact that Cork are in the final. We expect a massive battle and we look forward to it”, Moloney went on. “Cork on a high after their Munster senior final win, Pat Kenneally is in charge of them and we know from playing them early in the year that they are …

(Peter O’Connell) Kildare 0-13 Clare 0-12 NOT scoring in the closing 25 minutes cost Clare a famous win over Kildare in Ennis on Saturday evening. When David Tubridy pointed a free, won by Rory Donnelly, ten minutes into the second half, Clare led 0-12 to 0-6 and Kildare looked seriously rattled. [doptg id=”35″]However the visiting Leinster county, upped their game, made some key substitutions and ran at Clare incessantly. Substitutes Eoghan O’Flaherty and Paddy Brophy kicked critical scores to help sculpt a place in the last 12 for the Jason Ryan managed team. Clare had played exceptionally well at stages during the first half. Points from Enda Coughlan, Podge Collins, Rory Donnelly, Martin McMahon, Shane McGrath (0-2) and a David Tubridy free helped Clare into a 0-7 to 0-4 interval lead. Alan Smith kicked three first half points for Kildare, while Padraig O’Neill added a point. The Clare supporters in the 7,745 attendance gave their team a standing ovation at …

CLARE hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald and Clare Champion journalist, Peter O’Connell, have both given their version of events regarding an incident at Cusack Park on Saturday evening, following the Banner’s draw with Wexford. As a result of the incident, Fitzgerald was restrained by members of his backroom team, while O’Connell was ejected from the tunnel area by Clare County Board secretary, Pat Fitzgerald [Davy’s father] and backroom squad member and referee, Seanie McMahon. They have claimed they ejected O’Connell from the enclosed area of the stadium due to safety concerns. However, O’Connell has firmly denied that such a move was required or that he had behaved in an aggressive or abusive manner. The incident occurred in the enclosed area behind the dressing rooms and close to the mouth of the tunnel, about 45 minutes after the match had ended. Emotions were still running high after one of the most dramatic games of the championship to date when Fitzgerald directed a …