Roscommon County Secretary Brian Carroll is hopeful that Dr. Hyde Park will be chosen as the host venue for next month’s Connacht Senior Football Championship final.
Roscommon advanced to their third consecutive Connacht final last weekend when they defeated Leitrim by 14 points at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Roscommon are due to pick the venue in accordance with a rota system established with Galway and Mayo, whereby each county rotates venues on an annual basis.
Mayo trounced Sligo at Dr. Hyde Park to win the 2015 Connacht Championship but there are concerns over ticket scanning and egress at the ground.
Carroll said that his meeting with the Connacht County Council was constructive and that another meeting has been scheduled with the Connacht CCC for next weekend.
A statement on the Connacht website read:
“Everyone involved in Roscommon G.A.A. was absolutely delighted last Saturday evening when we qualified for our 3rd Connacht final in a row by defeating Leitrim. Roscommon GAA are looking forward to taking on Galway or Sligo on Sunday the 17th of June in the final.
“Roscommon GAA fully accept the venue of the Connacht final will be decided by the Connacht CCC and this will be done when the winner of the Galway v Sligo game is known.
“Brian Carroll Roscommon County Secretary stated: ‘I held a very constructive meeting with Connacht GAA Secretary John Prenty this week about the suitability of Dr Hyde Park for the hosting of Connacht Championship games in the future and also a potential Connacht final and another meeting is planned for this weekend’.
Roscommon manager Kevin McStay was adamant that the game would be played at Dr. Hyde Park and said that playing at home is a huge advantage in the GAA.
“Whether that’s a difficult position for the Connacht Council or the GAA at a national level, that doesn’t bother me,” said McStay after the win over Leitrim.
“I’m the manager of the Roscommon senior football team and my responsibility is to the 34 players to give us the best chance of retaining our title. My sense is that that’s at home. A home venue is a big advantage in Gaelic football.
“We are in the Connacht final, we have the home venue. It will be played in the Hyde. I have no doubt it will.
“We’ll certainly be turning up in the Hyde. I hope someone else is there to meet us on the day and we’d be very, very absolute about that. We’ll be there and let’s see.”
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