There was an interesting segment on RTE’s "Capital D" program tonight about the work that Shamrock Rovers do in the community. The video feed is at http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0426/capitald.html The initiative from Shamrock Rovers include providing scolarships for payers to gain 3rd level qualifications. Just in case they dont make millions playing football! Also some schoolkids are featured whose training gear, school books and uniforms are paid for by Shamrock Rovers. Shamrock Rovers – Building The Future in Tallaght!
Speaking of Tallaght the Tallaght Stadium saga rolls on. The next court date is in early May. Since my last blog about the stadium the GAA club Thomas Davis have been making some extraordinary moves. In an 11 page memo they informed their members that the local TD Conor Lenihan was barred from their club. Conor found out about this while members were buying him drinks at the clubhouse to celebrate a €200,000 grant from the government which Conor helped secure! Needless to say banning an elected representative from their club got quite a bit of media coverage. The coverage prompted this reply in the Independents letters pages:
The Tallaght stadium saga
I would like to congratulate your paper for its balanced and comprehensive coverage of the on-going Tallaght stadium saga (Irish Independent, April 18).
It is about time the public were given a chance to take on board the true facts of the situation.
While local GAA activists are determined to portray victimisation at the hands of the local authority and the Minister for Sport, the
reality is that it is, and never was, practical to accommodate senior Gaelic games in the as-yet completed stadium. Trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole springs to mind.
Its anchor tenants, Shamrock Rovers, have no objection to the playing of underage GAA events there as this will not contravene plans, which date back more than ten years, to develop the ground into a modern community facility for all the people of Tallaght.
For those who live or work close to the partially completed stadium and who are curious as to why it remains an ugly concrete shell, it is important that they are made aware that if it wasn’t for the continued court actions of local GAA club Thomas Davis, then maybe the sports loving people of the area would have a top-of-the-table football match at the venue to look forward to this weekend.
Unfortunately, for now, it remains to be seen how long they will have to wait before they see Tallaght Community Stadium finally put to good use.