Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending the Ulster Senior Football Championship final between Donegal and Armagh. It was really a remarkable occasion. It was a day that gave us everything. We had sunshine, rain, thunder, lightning and a magnificent game of football that ultimately went to penalties to decide the winner. However, it is not so much the game I want to talk about here this afternoon, but the venue, St. Tiernach's Park in Clones. It was a truly magical day. I left the pitch an hour and a half or two hours before thrown-in and walked down the hill in Clones and up Fermanagh Street. It was a river of colour. We had the green and gold of Donegal and the orange of Armagh. It was really remarkable and again brought home to me how magical a location Clones is on Ulster final day. I know the GAA is looking at the development of Casement Park and I wish it well in that regard but it should not be at the expense of Clones as a venue for senior football championship finals. With respect to my colleagues from other parts of the country, there is no ground or location that comes close to the magic that is St. Tiernach's Park in Clones town on Ulster final day. To all the people involved and who helped put this day together, including the local club, Cluain Eois, the Ulster Council, the county board, An Garda Síochána, all of the emergency services and Monaghan County Council, I say, "Well done". From a Government perspective, I note that it is critical that we invest in St. Tiernach's Park and keep upgrading the facility because we are very fortunate to have a magical venue like it on Ulster final day. I know I speak for all counties represented here in saying that we all want the Ulster Senior Football Championship final to remain in Clones.