Galway United's home game with Dundalk set for Turners Cross in Cork
Tribesmen forced on the road after Louth club and FAI refused moving game to another day or to later in the season
Galway United are set to add a new venue this weekend to the list of 'home' grounds it has played at over the years: but it is not the one people had thought, after it opted for Turners Cross in Cork for its Premier Division game with Dundalk (7.45pm).
With Eamon Deacy Park closed for 11 weeks due to pitch and draining works, the Tribesmen were set to temporarily relocate to the home of Galway GAA, Pearse Stadium for league games with Dundalk, Derry City, Sligo Rovers, and Waterford, the first of which was due to be against the Louth side this coming weekend.
However, the Galway Gaelic footballers are talking on Westmeath in the All-Ireland senior championship on Sunday, ruling out the use of the Salthill venue this weekend. There had been speculation surrounding the Dundalk game for the last couple of weeks, with the FAI finally confirming at lunchtime today (Monday) that the game would go ahead as scheduled this Friday, but at Turner's Cross in Cork.
Galway United were left with no choice but to play the game this Friday, or risk being deducted three points for failing to fulfil the fixture
"Galway United were left with no choice but to play the game this Friday, or risk being deducted three points for failing to fulfil the fixture," a club spokesperson told the Connacht Tribune this afternoon.
"We explored multiple options, including reversing the fixture with Dundalk, offering to move them game to Monday night which was given the blessing of the Galway GAA, or postponing the game to another date in August or September, but all our requests were rejected by Dundalk and the FAI.
"We explored a number of alternate venues, but the Markets Field in Limerick was not available across the weekend, and both Athlone Town's ground and the Showgrounds in Sligo were not feasible. We suggested a venue in Mayo and that was rejected as well, so we were left with no option but to approach the Munster FA who have made Turners Cross available to us on Friday."
We can't thank the Galway GAA enough, they have done everything to accommodate us but playing the game in Pearse Stadium on Friday night was just not possible for logistical and operational reasons
That sees the Cork venue join Terryland Park/Eamonn Deacy Park, The Sportsground (now called Dexcom Stadium), Crowley Park (home of Galwegians FC), Harold's Cross in Dublin (for a league game against Shelbourne at the end of the 1993/94 season), and the GAA grounds of Páirc an Chathánaigh in An Cheathrú Rua and in Ballinderreen as grounds United will have played 'home' games in.
The club will be subsidising buses for this Friday's game, running a free bus for match-day volunteers, offering €5 return tickets for season ticket holders, and €10 return tickets for all other supporters.
"We can't thank the Galway GAA enough, they have done everything to accommodate us but playing the game in Pearse Stadium on Friday night was just not possible for logistical and operational reasons. Our initial move was to play games on a Saturday, but they are opening the ground to us to play Derry City on Friday June 19 as originally planned," he said - that Derry game has to be played on a Friday, as they Candystripes are away to Shamrock Rovers the following Monday.
"They deserve enormous credit for the help and understanding they have shown to us, they have been incredible, and an absolute pleasure to deal with," the spokesperson said.
It has been pointed out in some quarters that the Republic of Ireland played the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifier in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork last Friday night, less than 48 hours before the Munster final between Cork and Limerick took place at the same venue.
However, the ground has previously held football games and would be used to the transition form GAA to football and back again, while Galway United's first game at Pearse Stadium will be the first football game at the venue.
United's other two moved games, against Sligo and Waterford, have both been switched to Saturday kick-offs.
The Connacht derby will be played on Saturday July 11 (5pm); while the game with Waterford will go ahead on Saturday July 25, also at 5pm.
One other blow for United is that the game with Shamrock Rovers that had been proposed for Pearse Stadium will now go ahead in Tallaght Stadium.
Rovers are believed to have agreed to a fixture swap at the request of United, and it is believed that had been given the green light by the league authorities, but today's bulletin on the move to Pearse Stadium also included an update that the game against Rovers is staying in Tallaght on Friday June 26, but with a 7.30pm kick-off.