An Irish National Stadium!

I really hope it does mot look like that stadium, id prefer a box stadium if you know what i mean. Like St.James’s Park or Old Trafford, or did anyone see the stadium in which Chelsea were playing the other night in Germany, Schalkes Ground, now that was a stadium! Approximately 50,000 seater aswell. I think this capacity is perfect, the stadium should also be compact and fans close to the action. This will benefit the players, fans and will create a more intimidating atmosphere for the away team. I also doubt the McAlpine stadium is anywhere near 50,000 judging by the photo.

i like that but will it be the same or along those lines irish style?

Could you imagine what the IRFU could sell Lansdowne for? I think the site is 9 acres. I say sell the site and build a stadium in Abbotstown, where you will actually be able to park, is convenient for those coming from outside of Dublin and also Blanchardstown has a rail link dosnt it, i also have read that a metro is to be built to Abbotstown. The FAI has in mind to relocate its headquarters etc to Abbotstown. It also wants a permanent stadium for underage and womens matches, that it says it would like to build there. Plus academys etc. Id say it would be harder to object to the Abbotstown aswell.

I think the fact that you would be able to park in abbotstown is prob the best reason not to build there! Harsh I know – but let’s face facts we’re choking in congestion already – building where there’s already a DART and is walkable from town makes sense.

Abbotstown is basicly Blanchardstown

I like the fact that Lansdowne is near town but the site is very restrictive, i also feel that the Dart hinders access to the stadium, any time one go’s by a few thousand fans are stuck behind the gates waiting for it to open. The biggest joke though is after the match when everyone wants to leave and a Dart is passing, have you ever experienced the congestion in the stadium when that happens? People cant move for about five minutes. No id definetly say Abbotstown, the M50 is to be upgraded so are the interchanges, it has a railline and is to be served by a metro, what more do you want? One could also build a stadium faster and cheaper on a greenfield site. The idea of a sporting campus there is a good one, the National Aquatic Centre is already there and it is fantastic from what ive heard and read. Think of the contribution the IRFU could make if they sold Lansdowne for apartments. Or would it be possible for them to build apartments on the site and then sell them themselves?

Hang on the capacity is 50,000 not 500,000. Its not as if everyone will drive is it and if even assuming a majority did, how many go to matches on their own? Whenever im walking to Lansdowne for a match the cars are normally full and you know they are going to the match becuase of the jerseys, hats, scarfs etc their wearing. The car park could also be used as a park and ride for the metro. Contiue the metro on and run it under the blanchardstown shopping centre and put a stop underneath it.

Also how many matches do you know that kick off during rush hour? Soccer matches always kick off at 7.30 during weekdays and 3.00 on Saturday. The traffic using the roads would be far less than would be using it at peak hours.

But by the time the stadium is built, we will have the port tunnel, luas, M 50 completed with more lanes and better interchanges, Dart upgrade, extra bus lanes, higher capacity on all trains serving Dublin, have you not seen cie’s ads on how much the capacity is increasing? The aiport to city centre metroline will probably be complete at around the same times as the stadium, the Liffey is getting watertaxis, i mean congestion here should have declined substantially by the time the stadium opens. Its not always good to think so short sighted.