Having been roundly criticised for their stance on the use of Páirc Uí Chaoimh for a charity football match in memory of Liam Miller on 25 September, the GAA have this evening released a statement outlining the rationale of their decision.
Miller, a Cork native and former professional footballer with Manchester United, Celtic and Cork City, died at the tragically young age of 36-year last February. In memory of his life, former teammates, including Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes, will gather in Cork's Turner's Cross for a charity game.
Due to the high level of external interest there will be in supporting this event, however, it was hoped that Páirc Uí Chaoimh would be made available to the organisers; it's potential capacity far outstripping the capabilities of Turner's Cross.
However, in spite of this, an official statement released by the GAA has confirmed that; "The GAA is prohibited in rule from hosting games other than those under the control of the Association in its stadia and grounds."
An understandable objection in principle, this stance scarcely appeared to take into consideration the the primary function of memorial match; it is a charity event.
Absolving the "Cork County Committee and Central Council" from having had any say in the decision, the statement reaffirmed the fact that "only a change at Annual Congress can alter this situation."
Recently undergoing major redevelopments, the funding for this project in Páirc Uí Chaoimh came in part from government assistance: €30 million towards the €70 million projected initially.
While it may appear that such outside assistance would leave the venue clear to host charity events such as Miller's memorial match, the GAA confirmed they had clarified this was not the case:
The GAA has sought legal advice around funding received towards the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and believes it is compliant with the terms and conditions laid down in September 2016.
In a curious closing remark, the Association did reaffirm their "offer to provide hospitality facilities at the venue" without any cost. They similarly wished "the event organisers every success in their endeavours" to salute Liam Miller, and raise necessary funds for charity.
