Sports Desk: Cabinet set to back

Phase one is intended to involve the development of around one-third of the 500-acre site near Blanchardstown with high specification facilities being provided for the FAI, GAA, IRFU and approximately 30 other sporting organizations. If approved, our three biggest field sports organizations will each be provided with a mix of grass and synthetic outdoor pitches, a significant proportion of which will be floodlit, while the FAI and the IRFU will also have covered synthetic international training pitches. Hockey pitches will also be provided and a major sports center will provide facilities for around 30 indoor sports. National sports organizations and their leading athletes will receive priority at the center. But it is also envisaged that a significant number of clubs could operate out of the center when phase one is completed in approximately five years from now. The center currently hosts the state’s laboratory buildings and there is speculation that rather than demolish the buildings they could be converted into offices, with the FAI already expressing a desire to move their headquarters out to the suburbs from Merrion Square.

MUNSTER WANT
MORE TICKETS
Munster are hoping that they can persuade Biarritz to move their Heineken Cup quarterfinal on Sunday, April 3, from their own compact stadium to a bigger venue. The French club’s home ground Parc de Sports Aquilera has a capacity of only 12,700. That would mean that Munster would get only 3,200 tickets, which would also mean a lot of sad faces in Limerick and Cork. There was speculation last week that the game would be played over the Spanish border at the home of Real Sociedad soccer club, where there is a capacity of 32,000. But the San Sebastian club also have a home game in La Liga game that weekend. Biarritz are anxious to accommodate the Munster rugby fans and so far all they have said is that the game will not be played in Toulouse. The European Rugby Committee cannot force Biarritz to move the game and the situation is similar to that which arises when Munster are drawn at home for a big game. Do they keep the game in Limerick or move to Dublin? Leinster hope to attract a full house at Lansdowne Road for their Heineken Cup quarterfinal game against Leicester on Saturday, April 2. Leicester are expected to bring around 10,000 supporters to Lansdowne and the Dublin public should snap up the remaining tickets.
Meanwhile Irish international Geordan Murphy reckons that his colleague Brian O’Driscoll should captain the Lions on their New Zealand tour this summer. ‘Brian is a great leader. He is very lucky that he has a talented Ireland squad to work with, but everyone knows he’s an exceptional player,’ said Murphy, who is fighting to get back on the Irish team following a bad injury. There has been much speculation in recent weeks as to who Lions’ coach Clive Woodward will choose as his captain. Woodward has hinted that Irish vice-captain Paul O’Connell, Welsh captain Gareth Thomas and England’s Jason Robinson will all be in the running for the captain’s role.

KEANE LIKELY
TO SKIP SHOW
There can hardly be an Irish person anywhere in the world who doesn’t have an opinion on the infamous row between former Republic of Ireland coach Mick McCarthy and captain Roy Keane in Saipan prior to the 2002 World Cup finals. Now Keane is expected to be invited to a performance of “I Keano,” a new play based on the Saipan row, which opens at Dublin’s Olympia Theater on Feb. 3. The Irish squad will be in Dublin next month for the friendly against Portugal and apparently they will be invited to the show on Feb. 8. Normally the players go to see a film the night before a game, but Mario Rosentock, who has become famous for his take-off of Keane’s accent, said the players will be invited. ‘It’s a tradition to take the players out to the cinema the night before an international game, but we are hoping they go to the theater instead.’ However, while it’s well known that some of the Irish players enjoy Rosentock’s send up of Keane Cork/Manchester accent, it’s unlikely that the star himself will go along, assuming that he is in the squad or that coach Brian Kerr would even allow the players attend the show. However, a quote from co-writer Arthur Matthews would not have gone down well with the Cork star. The man who also co-wrote the Father Ted series said: ‘I have forgiven him, but what Roy did was a bit incomprehensible. It was just a few weeks out of his life and then he could retire.’
The main thrust of the show which will portray Keano leading his men into battle when he discovers the general, McCartacus, has not packed enough daggers and tunics. When Keano finds out he goes mad and has a ruckus with McCartacus over it.

POLS TO PLAY
CHARITY TIE
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, a useful amateur footballer in his younger days, is expected to make a brief appearance for the Dail deputies team in a charity game at Dalymount Park tonight. The taoiseach is reported to exercise regularly and is in good shape. He will line out for the team managed by former Kerry footballer Jimmy Deenihan, who is now a Fine Gael T.D. The politicians will play a team of soccer journalists, who will be managed by Irish coach Brian Kerr. All proceeds will go to the Tsunami fund.

BOSS DOESN’T HAVE
RIGHT STUFF – STAR
Dublin dual star Conal Keaney recently decided to opt for football this season rather than hurling. Keaney was one of the Dubs top hurlers last season, but he is clearly unhappy with manager Humphrey Kelleher. In a recent interview Keaney didn’t hide his feeling about the Waterford-born coach. ‘I have nothing against Humphrey — he is a very nice man. But I don’t think he has got the iron fist required to lead the team forward. He’s kind of too nice of a man to be managing a team; fellas are getting away with too much. I don’t think he has the experience to manage an intercounty team, especially with Dublin. You need to be getting on with everyone and still leading the way.’ Keaney added that the preparation for last year’s championship was “abysmal.” But the 22-year-old said that he hoped to one day return to the Dublin hurling panel when things improve.

HURLERS CLASH,
LAW CALLED IN
Gardai in Ballinasloe are reported to be about to submit a file to the director of public prosecutions in Dublin following a complaint from a Loughrea hurler. The player claimed he was assaulted by four Athenry players in a senior hurling championship game last September. If the case goes ahead it will be another embarrassment for the GAA. Also, Athenry are due to play Toomevara in the AIB All-Ireland club hurling semifinal next month. At the end of 2004, former Down star James McCartan avoided a jail sentence when he paid