Football: STADIUM OF LIGHT; EVENING MATCHES TO BE HELD AT HEADQUARTERS GAA to invest pounds 4m in new floodlights.

Byline: Jackie CAHILL

GAA chiefs will splash out EUR4m to erect floodlights at Croke Park, in time for next year's historic arrival of soccer and rugby at the stadium.

Croke Park Stadium Director Peter McKenna has confirmed the GAA is planning on adding floodlights to Croke Park - and he also revealed one of the FAI's three games at the stadium in 2007 could be an evening match.

He said: "It's a strong possibility. The draw is on the January 27 and it's likely there will be Wednesday fixtures."

McKenna also confirmed that the stadium's corporate seats and boxes will first be offered to the existing customers, before going on sale anywhere else.

He promised: "Our premiums seat and box holders will get first option to buy tickets for rugby and soccer matches.

"That's important to us because when these guys first invested, they did so 11-years ago when there was no Celtic Tiger.

"They put their money in at the time and it was the financial engine behind the Croke Park redevelopment. Now, we will go out of our way to make sure that these customers are looked after."

McKenna believes that when Croke Park is floodlit - it will be the brightest stadium in the entire world.

The lights used at Lansdowne Road and the RDS are measured at 450 lux, the unit of measurement for light intensity.

Up to 1600 lux are used in special cases, for example the televising of live cricket matches abroad.

But Croke Park's lights are set to eclipse that as they will mea sure 2,000 lux.

This is to ensure that the GAA is prepared for any eventuality, including the future possibility of Championship hurling matches played at night.

Because of the speed of the game of hurling, it is vital that floodlights are strong enough so players can pick the ball no matter how fast it is travelling.

McKenna also expressed his hope that we will see International Rules matches under lights in future years.

Part of the deal negotiated by the GAA, the FAI and the IRFU is the staging of the 2007 Six Nations rugby clash between Ireland and England at Croke Park.

That game has been pencilled in for a 5.30pm start as things stand and with floodlights installed fading light won't prove a problem.

McKenna added: "We have had a number of proposals and we have narrowed it down to two companies.

"We will run a final assessment of those, select one next week and then lodge an application for planning."

McKenna estimates the planning process will take anything from five weeks to nine months - and he is anticipating objections from local residents.

"Everybody has the right to make an objection," he conceded. "But we would hope that there are no hidden agendas when they arise."

With GAA chiefs looking at taking more Championship hurling and football matches away from Croke Park to provincial venues to maximise gate receipts, McKenna believes the number of GAA, soccer and rugby matches combined will work out roughly the same on an annual basis.

And he added: "We will still be far lower than most other European stadiam in terms of night-time events.

"But there's a balance that needs to be struck here and let's not forget these matches will be of huge benefit to the economy."

CAPTION(S):

LET THERE BE LIGHT: Croke Park is to get a set of EUR4m floodlights to allow for evening matches

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Title Annotation:	Sport
Publication:	The Mirror (London, England)
Date:	Jan 19, 2006
Words:	577
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