Call for Croke Park station after €3m Adare investment

A Northside councillor has called on Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail to reconsider plans for a dedicated match day train station behind Croke Park after reports emerged that €3 million is being spent on a temporary station in Adare for the 2027 Ryder Cup.

North City councillor Nial Ring (pictured above) said the decision highlighted what he described as a “selective investment policy” by the national transport provider.

Cllr Ring said the long standing proposal for a station on the rail line behind Croke Park, close to the Davin Stand, has repeatedly been stalled despite being included in the Dublin City Development Plan under SDRA 10.

He argued that the move to develop temporary infrastructure in Adare for a once off sporting event showed that similar ambition could be applied to Dublin’s biggest stadium.

“Today’s news that a temporary station will be built at Adare for a three day once off golf event proves that where there is a will, there is a way, and a budget,” he said last Thursday (7th).

“It is deeply disappointing to see American golf supporters being prioritised with bespoke infrastructure while the hundreds of thousands of GAA fans who flock to Croke Park dozens of times a year are told a dedicated station is unfeasible.”

Cllr Ring said the comparison between attendance figures at the Ryder Cup and major GAA fixtures at Croke Park underlined the need for improved rail access to the stadium.

“While the Ryder Cup will attract 60,000 people per day for a single week this year only, Croke Park regularly hosts more than 80,000 spectators multiple times during the peak season, the numbers don’t lie,” he said.

He also claimed GAA supporters were being overlooked despite the scale of demand.

“GAA fans are the lifeblood of Irish sport, yet they are being treated as second class citizens compared to the high rolling international golf market,” he added.

Cllr Ring said there was “ample space” for a station on the existing rail line behind the Davin Stand and urged the Minister for Transport and Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail to meet with Dublin City Council and GAA representatives to discuss what he described as a “permanent, sustainable rail solution” for Croke Park.

The councillor also pointed to the fast tracking of the Adare bypass project ahead of the Ryder Cup, contrasting it with what he said was a lack of urgency around transport infrastructure for the North Inner City.

“I see the Adare bypass is also being fast tracked to be ready for next year,” he said.

“Meanwhile the needs of local residents, GAA supporters and Croke Park are being bypassed by Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail, not a fairway to treat the North Inner City but par for the course it seems.”