Looking the madra's liathróidí..  
 

I suppose we never thought it would be as good as it looks now. The HPC is amazing and the Stadium is getting finished at such a rate that it will put a lot of away supporters wondering how did Connacht pull this off.

Quite funny looking back here - a lot of us were afraid to get our hopes up too much!!

Looking forward to Alan's timelapse. Disappointing that the branch aren't posting updates on the website.
I get glimpses during games, and occasionally see an update on reddit.

LDTT wrote: Hey, it there a thread with progress updates on the redevelopment work?

This is probably it....
The High Performance Centre, they are hoping to be in for April 2025 and all going well the new stand completed by December 2025...Work going very good at the moment.
Looking forward to Alan D's (from the Craggy Pod) time-lapse when it's completed.
He's been taking regular pictures of the development.

Hey, it there a thread with progress updates on the redevelopment work?

There was an article, in the Connacht Tribune a few weeks back (Jan 14th I think if anyone wants to search for it) indicating that work on the pitch is starting this summer.
I'd be delighted just to see things getting up and running. The longer it gets delayed, the more fear that it never happens

Anyone have any intel as to where this has gotten to?
Given the arse didn't fall out of the economy as some had predicted and crowds are on their way back, I would have thought that there would be clarity on a timeline etc.

Anyone any idea?

CONN8 wrote: Why don’t they make a start on it now, it looks like there’s going to be no spectators for a while so it does not matter if we play in the sportsground, or some other stadium, plus it would put some investment into Galway as well as much needed jobs.

Agree with this sentiment. With the crowds gone it seems like a good opportunity. If they spin it as an economic support where the government is not paying out PUP for nothing then it might get traction.

pinky wrote: Looks like Ballina RFC will be running the state's sports policy. So the new stadium should be sound. Though it might relocate to Heffernan Park.

Well that was good while it lasted

Why don’t they make a start on it now, it looks like there’s going to be no spectators for a while so it does not matter if we play in the sportsground, or some other stadium, plus it would put some investment into Galway as well as much needed jobs.

Looks like Ballina RFC will be running the state's sports policy. So the new stadium should be sound. Though it might relocate to Heffernan Park.

It's all changed now though, and pledges and guarantees are without value.

The new reality.

Big D.P. wrote: IRFU will have lost a considerable amount of money relative to budget so far, and future income streams (attendances and social distancing) will be under threat also.

I'd imagine all major development work must be back under the spotlight.

That cannot be good news unfortunately.

(1) 10 million guaranteed from the government's large scale sports infrastructure
(2) 10 million pledged by the outgoing government
(3) 10 million raised from Connacht themselves (presales & loans)

The IRFU have nothing to do with it - in fact they backed the RDS over ourselves - so the question is how (2) and (3) above stand up.

It's gonna be kicked down the road, state will review funding in the current climate, a rugby stadium will not be priority.

There may well be something in that, I have heard that Munster just got Thomond Park done just before lehmann bros sparked recession, it would just be Connachts luck to be caught in the midst of a recession. State funding must be a worry for any big project really, with social distancing to be the norm for a long time to come, there's the possibility that feasibility of an expanded stadium would be reviewed and the project kicked down the road. Hopefully not.