72 Wednesday July 12, 2017 www.tuamherald.ie

Jim Carney This Sporting Life When city was told a sports field was a good factory site wasted THE TWO big Senior Football Championship games at Pearse Stadium inside the last five weeks attracted a combined attendance of more than 40,000. On those two days, Galway city and were alive to the sound of traffic powering its way in from around the and the , and from further afield. It amounted to a massive financial boost to the city and the neighbouring seaside resort. Within a mile of Pearse Stadium, business was booming. The Salthill Hotel, Galway Bay Hotel and Killoran's and Lonergan's pubs were packed all day. Plenty of the usual summer tourism trade too, but I could see that much of the 'buzz' came from Galway vs Mayo and Galway vs Roscommon. At this time of year the big GAA games have a huge following and nowadays it's a really cool thing to be seen inside and outside the pubs wearing your own county jerseys. There was a time when Galway city business chiefs and some public figures were much less enthusiastic about the promotion of and . Invited to write a short piece about the 60th anniversary of the official opening of Pearse Stadium (for last Sunday's finals' DOWN MEMORY LANE ... to the building of Pearse Stadium in Salthill; it was officially opened on June 16, 1957. programme), I decided to research the background to the decision hopes for the site but A hard-hitting letter followed The Galway Stadium 16, 1957 by Séamus McFerran, made by the County Board in they were shocked to hear, in late from an angry Fr James O'Dea, Development Committee then President of the GAA, after the the 1950s to locate a major new 1951, a member of Galway Harbour President of the County GAA launched an appeal for funds. blessing by the Bishop of Galway, GAA venue in Salthill instead of Commissioners publicly calling Board, and the controversial Prominent in this major initiative Dr Michael Browne. Guests of developing the very popular for SoSouth Park suggestions made by the two were Fr O'Dea, Mayor Josie honour included Galway's 1923 South Park to be developed members of the Harbour Owens, Chamber of Commerce All- SHC winning team. playing asas an industrial Commissioners also received president Gerald Corbett, Ald Two games were played to mark fields at the sitesite ""instead of strong disapproval from many O'Flaherty of the Harbour the occasion: Galway hurlers Claddagh. usingusing such a fine members of Galway Corporation. Commissioners and Town Clerk defeated Tipperary by 1-11 to 1-5 South Park piecepiec of land That particular threat to the Seán Gillen. Inside two months and Galway footballers (reigning and the asas a playing GAA quickly disappeared but then £8,300 had been collected. All-Ireland champions at the time) Sportsground, fieldfield for a few Mother Nature intervened. Two Promised grants would bring the defeated Kerry by 3-10 to 3-6. It College Road footballers."foo He nights after Christmas Day 1951, figure up to £11,300. The target was a great tribute to the versatile hosted many waswa supported gales and tidal floods caused was £15,000; engineer E.R. Ryan Billy O'Neill (R.I.P.) that he played GAA games in byby a colleague havoc throughout the West of was appointed to the project, and for the two Galway teams on that the city since whowh bizarrely Ireland. Galway and Salthill it was decided to name the new historic day. the turn of suggestedsu suffered particularly badly. South GAA ground Páirc an Phiarsaigh As far back as January 13, 1935 the century, thatth "the GAA Park was flooded, up to 3 feet in (Pearse Stadium). the secretary of the West Board including shouldsh fill in many areas. It became necessary The lease and deeds were signed of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael na Galway's LoughL Atalia." to look for an alternative site for a on September 27, 1954 at the Gaillimhe, Tomás O'Connor, National Footballall AsA recorded major GAA stadium. Galway Corporation offices in pleaded that "a lack of playing League clash ini Gerry In 1953 it was announced that the presence of Pearse Stadium pitches in the city and in the West with Kerry in Cloherty'sC Galway Corporation had acquired trustees Johnny Cotter, Mick Board area is a major handicap." April 1938 beforere AnnalsA of 23 acres of the Hennessy Estate Higgins and Croke Park nominee Twelve months later, Fr O'Dea an attendance the GAA in in Salthill and talks were being Pádraig Ó Caoimh, General promised "a big effort to secure a of 10,000 at Galway, held with Galway GAA Board. At a Secretary of the GAA. The Town major GAA ground in the city." the Sportsground,nd, Volume 111 Corporation meeting on May 6 it Clerk reported that a tender of It's hard to credit that it took which was also a (1935-1969), was decided that 17.5 acres would £34,337 for construction had been the GAA another 21 years to win venue for county itidbh was agreed by the Harbour be sold to the County Board, with accepted. The £15,000 target had enough support for the building senior hurling finals and for the Commissioners "to approach the agreement of the Minister for been reached; it included £4,000 of a top-class GAA stadium in first All-Ireland Senior Camogie Galway Corporation on the Local Government. It was stated in grants. such a wealthy city as Galway Championship final, in 1932, industrial use proposal, noting that that the sale involved a payment Built by the Salthill firm James undoubtedly was in the middle between Galway and Dublin. industrial development was more of a £500 deposit, and a 999-year Stewart & Co., Pearse Stadium of the last century — unlike the The GAA did indeed have great important than sport." lease at an annual rent of £150. was officially opened on June impoverished rest of the county.