Louth GAA chair Peter Fitzpatrick TD sounded a defiant note on Wednesday, saying that building of the new county ground in Dundalk would start in September.
“We promised the people of Louth in September 2021, we will start building the stadium and we’re going to be in that ground, beg, borrow or steal. We’ll have the guts of a million or €1.3 million maybe at that stage and we’re going to start with the actual pitch itself and the surrounding areas.
“It’s like everybody else. If you don’t make a start it’ll never happen. For over 60 years, we’ve been promised a stadium in county Louth. I’m chairman of the county board and we’ve got a fantastic management committee there at the moment. We don’t want to be like everybody else, coming in and promising.
“If we promise we’ll do something, we will do it. As I said to you, we’ll leave no stone unturned. We’re hoping that in the next 12 or 18 months that we will have our own stadium.”
Fitzpatrick was speaking at the launch of the county's strategic review, presented by former Louth footballer Derek Crilly and reflecting six key focus areas: "Primary and Post Primary School, Games Development, Academy and Player Pathway, PR/Communications, Finance and Fundraising and Infrastructure."
Whereas the new stadium wasn’t part of the review, as it is already up and running with planning permission, it will be a vital resource for the county in future. The imprimatur of Croke Park is complicated by the current financial restrictions that have halted GAA capital projects but Fitzpatrick is confident that the ground’s cost won’t exceed €12 million and that the money will be found.
“At the moment, it’s a three-way street – €4 million from the county board, €4 million from Croke Park and €4 million from the Government but I will be honest: there are individuals who have contacted the Louth county board and are willing to help. I can’t say at this stage what kind of money’s involved because it’s very hard to do things across the phone or do things on Zoom.”
Fitzpatrick, who managed his county to the precipice of provincial success in 2010 when they were controversially denied by Meath, also referred to the ambition shown by the appointment of Mickey Harte, Tyrone's former All-Ireland winning manager to take charge of Louth.
“We’re not looking for a quick fix. We offered Mickey Harte a three-year contract with an extension of two. If you look at what Derek and his team there are doing, we’re trying to reorganise the whole structure of Louth football.”
