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IT WAS A battle that spanned decades, but the GAA and the Irish Handball Council Sports Centre have finally reached an agreement on the demolition of the centre near Hill 16 in Croke Park.
The old centre on St Joseph’s Avenue is to be demolished, and instead, a national handball and community centre will be built outside Croke Park.
The breakthrough ends the acrimonious row between the two parties.
The GAA first attempted to have the centre demolished in 1988. The Irish Handball Council Sports Centre had been fighting against this until the new deal, which was reached today.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern chaired the talks between the GAA and the centre. Ahern is famously a big fan of the GAA and he lives nearby in Drumcondra.
History
The handball centre was built in 1970 and opened by then-President Eamon De Valera for the World Handball Championships. The centre also provides mixed martial arts, pool, arts and crafts and dancing classes.
Muhammad Ali trained in the centre before his fight against Al ‘Blue’ Lewis in 1974.
In 1988 the GAA applied to An Bord Pleanála to have the centre knocked down. However, their application was unsuccessful. According to the centre’s website, the GAA also tried to call in fire officers to get the building condemned.
The centre lost its sports club bar licence in 2004 after the GAA objected in court. However, after this, local politicians and then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern intervened, and the centre got its licence back nine months later.
In 2011 there was a legal battle. GAA sent a solicitor’s letter to order the community out of the centre, and the community threatened to seek an injunction against a second Take That Concert, as Croke Park had already held the three events they were allowed a year.
Talks began between the two parties, but these broke down after the GAA secured planning permission to demolish the centre, against the recommendation of the inspector from An Bord Pleanála.
The dispute was even the subject of an episode of Prime Time.
Bertie Ahern began to mediate the talks six months ago after both parties approached him.
New Partnership
Fintan Farrelly, chairman of the Irish Handball Council Sports Centre, said:
We are happy that the long running court case has been resolved. We now look forward to a harmonious relationship with the GAA that will be an enormous benefit to the local community and the handball community alike.
The solicitor representing the centre, Anthony Fay, also said the decision was very positive for the community, and that there would not have been a deal without Bertie.
The case wouldn’t have been resolved without Bertie as a mediator. His diplomacy was essential.
Bertie Ahern remarked: “I am very pleased to have played a role in clearing the way for the renewal of a part of Ballybough that desperately needs it and in adding an important new mechanism for the GAA and the local community to work together”.
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So will Paddy be plastering the new centre?
Good one mcgoo!!
Ah Bertie …. Is there anything he can’t do ……;)-
For some strange reason I still have a soft spot for the aul Codger !He reminds me of good years I had…
Ehhh. Farrelly Chairman because a few weeks ago the real chairman walked out because………..
Bertie should stay locked away in that closet.
Ehhhh not sure about any chairman walking out!!!
@mrkniwitall – Thats Great – And what about the bad years ahead for u & ur family? A s*umbag of tge highest standard i.e. Bertie
Fk off…he can’t seem to fk off
A handball court isn’t exactly the kind of court I’d envisioned for b-bertie to end up in.
I dunno, its got high walls,i’d be alright with him ending there…
Ur Right – A BACK-HANDER Court would be more appropriate for Bertie.
Wow! Would he consider a career in politics?
I’d comment about how I’d feel about Bertie Ahern but I’d get banned…..again
Bertie makes the best deals.
Country was grand when he was in charge ;-)
With himself included,financially of course
I wonder will Garth be coming back now???
I dunno. How many people will fit in a handball alley?
I am sure it will be done for a brown envelope or two.
Proberly call it the Bertie Bowl now
The bar in the hand ball club has some of the cheapest Guinness in Dublin. Not for much longer it seems.
Great spot
Great spot for a pint before or after a game, nice and handy for The Hill too
This is a Waterford Whispers article yes??
The GAA was really out to get them.
What an ugly boxy horrific building. Typical GAA. And ridiculously low-rise for such a city centre position.
He hasn’t gone away you know.
Not the hero we deserved, but the one that we needed
Survivors of abuse by the religious when they we little kids are now being abused again by the very system set up to help them under the name of “Caranua” http://theenchantingvalley.ning.com/ Bertie Ahearn gave the religious an indemnity deal protecting them from prosecution by abuse survivors and the state unless its repealed. No one is listening to the survivor again they have asked the minister for education with responsibilities for caranua to meet with them as the people running the fund is refusing many abuse survivors the help they so badly need. The survivors money is paying CEO and staff salaries and the CEO salary is €80,000 a year plus another €6000 in expenses and one survivor couldn’t get €75 to have a tooth fixed. Shame, Shame, Shame
Well done Bertie, you deserve the recognition must meet up again soon for a cuppa.
Such a discredit mug, is he still giving speeches abroad for a fee.Thought racing was his sport- lookit all the winnings on the horses.
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