Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I begin by congratulating Derry on its terrific win in the Ulster GAA final at the weekend and extend my commiserations to Donegal. It was a terrific game of football.

With the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, in the Chamber, I want to refer to the wonderful and buzzing weekend in Clones with the excitement of the Ulster final. There were almost 30,000 fans in St. Tiernach’s Park and that makes a huge difference to the local economy in a town such as Clones in a Border county such as Monaghan, which borders Cavan. A conservative estimate would be that this can bring about €3 million to the local economy.

While it will be really welcome when the redevelopment of Casement Park happens, the Ulster final will then be moved there. Will the Minister consider speaking to the Ulster Council and the wider GAA in regard to whether it would be possible to have a rotating Ulster final, whereby Clones would not completely lose its 100-year tradition of holding the Ulster final and, perhaps, as is the case in Cork and Kerry, a rotating final could be considered?

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