In the latest, and perhaps conclusive, episode in the saga/farce (dilute to taste) that is the upgrading or development of a stadium for Ireland's two major field sports, the IRFU chief executive, Philip Browne, will meet the Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, tomorrow morning.
At the meeting Browne will present the latest proposals from the consultants Ove Arup for a redeveloped Lansdowne Road. This will be a scaled-down version of the project previously mooted, from a 65,000-seater to a 45,000-seater, and, it is believed, will cost €250 million as against the estimated €490 million for the original redevelopment. In this latest plan, the East Stand would stay, with the West Stand and north and south terraces being rebuilt.
Senior IRFU figures, and no doubt their counterparts in the FAI, are hopeful that this more modest project will meet with the approval of the Government, who, after all, first promised a new national stadium for rugby, football and much else besides fully five years ago.
There would remain plenty of logistical difficulties even in this more modest project, not least where the IRFU and the FAI would host games while Lansdowne Road was being rebuilt, as well as potential planning objections from local residents.
"All of these are potential problems but I would prefer not to go into them at this juncture," said Browne last night. "In fact I would prefer not to comment at all."
The IRFU and the FAI needs are heightened by the proximity of the 2007 Rugby World Cup finals, in which Ireland are set to stage two games, and the qualifiers for the 2006 football World Cup finals.
Lansdowne Road staged a rugby European Cup final last season, but unless it is redeveloped there won't be another there, and as it stands the old ground wouldn't even compare to any of the 11 venues used by Australia in this year's World Cup.
Despite the initial cost, Browne will probably again stress the prospective benefits for the economy and tourism from a redeveloped 45,000-capacity all-seater stadium, as well as the opportunity to make the two sports virtually self-funding. Both sports are also competing at international level, and the IRFU can ill afford to sacrifice the actual running of the game to redevelop Lansdowne Road.
The Welsh Rugby Union are believed to be over £60 million in debt, thanks almost exclusively to their funding of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Servicing that debt, with interest repayments of a relatively modest £3 million, hangs over their game like the Sword of Damocles,
The Scottish Union are £18 million in debt, which prompted their new executive chairman, David Mackay, to speculate over the weekend that they might move out of Murrayfield to help reduce their liabilities.
