A €30-million redevelopment plan for a state-of-the-art stadium in Cork will be voted on by city councillors today.
Supporters of the proposed project include Cork GAA legend Jimmy Barry Murphy and Cork senior hurling captain KieranMurphy.
The vote comes after months of discussion between the Cork County Board and Cork City Hall on the future of 25 acres of land purchased by the council from Munster Agricultural Society.
Additional lands are vital to the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which will include the establishment of a centre of excellence and the construction of a two-tier stand. The redevelopment of the stadium on the existing site will see the capacity of the ground increased from 43,000 to 50,000 for matches.
Cork City Council and Cork County GAA board have had differences over how to redevelop the stadium, with the county board requesting more acres of land to develop the stadium than the local authority hope to allocate.
The board has asked the council for 6.82 acres for the re-development project.
However, city manager Joe Gavin reportedly wants to give the GAA the two acres needed to upgrade the stadium without the centre of excellence. The land has been set aside for a public park under the docklands development project.
It is believed Mr Gavin fears releasing more land would affect the council’s own docklands development, a project which would see hotels, apartments, offices and roads constructed close by.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dara Murphy, is one of the supporters of the project. He said he believes in being be “bold” and “brave” and have confidence in institutions like the GAA that have served this country so well through generations.