Tallaght Stadium to receive official opening
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Shamrock Rovers’ home venue, Tallaght Stadium, will be officially opened on Wednesday afternoon in a joint ceremony presided by the Mayor of South Dublin County, Marie Corr and Martin Cullen, Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism. The ceremony will be followed by an exhibition between the under 12’s school sides from nearby St Aiden’s and St Killian’s National schools.
South Dublin County Council are the actual owners of the Stadium that finally opened in February after numerous delays, with Rovers designated as anchor tenants. Hoops' chairman Jonathan Roche is extremely grateful for the role that SDCC took in the construction of the ground. “This is a big day for everyone in the stadium. Particularly for the SDCC who, as owners, have been extremely supportive as Rovers settle into new life in Tallaght. It is a very exciting development and shows how football clubs and councils can work together for the benefit of the community.”
After 22 years of a nomadic existence the move to Tallaght has been a huge success. While most other club have been struggling for support in large numbers, virtually every home game this season has been a sell out. Surprisingly, Rovers’ away form has been more impressive than at home, however, there is a feeling that the Stadium came to life against Bohemians two weeks ago. The atmosphere was incredible as Gary Twigg scored twice in a minute to snatch a famous victory.
As a result, work has begun on a second stand which is set to be finished according to Roche “at the end of the summer.” This will more than double capacity form the current 3,300 to close to 7,000. There is also room to develop a third and forth stand behind both goals, potentially adding another 4,000 seats, taking the capacity to over 10,000 people. Other clubs might look on with jealousy, but it is hard to deny that a strong Rovers is good for the well being of the league as a whole.
The concept of the Stadium and the reason that the Council became so heavily involved was that it would benefit the surrounding community. Rovers' chairman Roche says that this is already bearing fruit. “Given the current economic climate, it’s quite a positive that Shamrock Rovers are also creating employment and educational opportunities in South Dublin, and will bring in more that €1 million to the local economy during 2009.”
