Galway GAA agree to the use of Stadium for United games

Galway GAA has given its unanimous backing to a request from Galway United to play some of the League of Ireland club’s home games at Pearse Stadium in Salthill next season, with Croke Park to make a final ruling on the matter this weekend.

Scheduled drainage works at Eamonn Deacy Park next summer, which will involve the digging up of the pitch, has left United needing to find a new temporary home for the months of July and August, and it approached Galway GAA about the potential use of Pearse Stadium.

“Galway GAA has been incredible. We know the complexities involved and they have talked us through everything, letting us know what was needed from their end of things, and they could not have been more welcoming or helpful on the matter,” Jonathan Corbett of Galway United told the Connacht Tribune this week.

An item labelled ‘Galway United’ was on the agenda for Monday night’s monthly County Committee meeting in Loughgeorge, Claregalway, which was attended by club delegates from both Gaelic football and hurling.

The meeting was told that United had requested the use of Pearse Stadium for a brief period next year due to the unavailability of Eamonn Deacy Park as a result of major ground works, and that Galway GAA officials were backing the request.

The chairman of the Galway GAA, Paul Bellew, confirmed to the Tribune on Tuesday that there was not a single dissenting voice from the floor when the item was raised, and it will now go to Croke Park for a final decision.

“Galway GAA is agreeable to the proposal, but it is a decision for Croke Park. We fully back the proposal, it has our unanimous backing, and I am hopeful that Croke Park will approve it.

“It will be discussed this weekend, I am going to Dublin myself to present the proposal to officials there,” he said.

The move, if approved, will involve no more than a handful of games – United had four home games in total in the months of July and August both this season and in 2024.

The FAI has approved the temporary move, and has provided a letter of support confirming as much.

United have twice previously used GAA grounds for competitive home games, playing their UEFA Cup First Round game against Groningen of the Netherlands in Páirc an Cháthánaigh in Carraroe in October 1986; and their European Cup Winners’ Cup First Round tie with Odense of Denmark in Ballinderreen GAA club’s ground in August 1991.

Both of those moves were possible because the pitches in question were owned by the local community.

United have also played competitive home games in the past at the Sportsground on College Road, when they hosted Lyngby of Denmark there in the First Round of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in October 1985.

They returned to the College Road venue for the first four home games of the 1993/94 season when the complete redevelopment of Terryland Park was taking place, before moving to the home of Galwegians RFC at Crowley Park for all bare one home game for the remainder of the season, and their first three home game of the 1994/95 season. That one other home game in the 1993/94 season was played at Harold’s Cross in Dublin.

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