With the rise and rise of the Irish International team, what would be more fitting than to have a stadium that we could be also be proud off. The press releases presented an image of a stadium that would as modern as a 21st Century stadium should be. For all football fans in Ireland it was a dream come true.

Since the announcement of the FAI's intentions, however, embarrassment has turned to farce. The Department of Defence has lodged an appeal against the granting of planning permission stating that Eircom Park could be dangerous due to its proxity to nearby Baldonnel Airport.

The Government is intent on building a National Stadium and without the FAI's support (ie Ireland play their games football there) that stadium is likely to be the biggest white elephant since the Dome. It is unlikely that the Government will ever row in behind the FAI in supporting the building of Eircom Park because of this.

Irish football should have its own ground. Lansdowne Road will always hold a special part in our hearts but it is a rugby stadium. I really wish the FAI had not announced its grand plan until everything was ready to go. Who knows when the Tallaght project will get off the ground? 2002 seems a far too optimistic prediction. In the meantime lets hope that 2002 goes down as the year Ireland once again leave their mark on a World Cup Competition.

UPDATE: Of course since I wrote this opinion everything has changed. With the increasing likelihood that Eircom Park could cripple the FAI financially and the Governments offer to roll in with their plans for a national stadium Eircom Park is now officially dead!

In return for playing all our international
games in the National statium the FAI will reap a direct windfall of over £110 million from the Government over 5 years. This is unprecendented funding for soccer in this country and may provide the vital helping hand to so many of our struggling National League clubs. <
br>
This also provides the opportunity to watch Ireland in an 80,000 seater stadium which dwarfs Eircom Park's proposed 45,000 capacity. It seems that a good deal of the revenue from soccer games held there will find its way back to the FAI so the decision to drop Eircom Park did not cause too many tears (Bernard O'Byrne being the big exception of course) in Merrion Square.