The concern and negative vibes around pre-season GAA competitions will be a world removed from Chadwicks Wexford Park this weekend where a capacity crowd will be treated to fireworks off the pitch, and in all likelihood, something similar on it.
The almost farcical nature of the O'Byrne Cup this month gave rise to the annual debate around the structure of the GAA calendar, yet up to 14,000 people will flock to Wexford Town on Saturday night for a Walsh Cup encounter that is much more than that; it will be first game under floodlights at the venue.
Planning for a project that is reported to have come in at under €900,000 was approved in 2021 and as of last Friday, the ground is commissioned for night-time action.
The installation of floodlights in Chadwicks Wexford Park is underway and yesterday, County Chairman, Micheál Martin, brought us up to speed on the project pic.twitter.com/QLp8A7D964
— Wexford GAA (@OfficialWexGAA) November 2, 2022
The long-term plan is to tap into the potentially lucrative concert market, a logical move even before you consider Ed Sheeran’s strong links to the county.
The singer, whose grandmother Nancy Mulligan hails from Gorey, took to the stage in Croke Park wearing a purple and gold jersey in 2015 and last year expressed a desire to sponsor Wexford GAA.
The Examiner reported the Cork County Board benefitted to the tune of over €1 million from Sheeran's three Páirc Uí Chaoimh concerts in 2018 – and while Wexford GAA chairperson Micheal Martin has held initial talks with Aiken Promotions, there are a number of hoops that must be jumped through before that can ever come to pass.
For now, the primary focus is night-time games and Saturday is expected to see a capacity crowd of around 14,000 take in a round three Walsh Cup encounter with Kilkenny.
Initially the plan was just to open the stands, but with 7,000 tickets already sold before Christmas, it was decided to offer terrace tickets also, though the Pineridge terrace will remain closed owing to the fireworks display pre-match.
Currently just a couple of hundred tickets remain.
"Work started in September," explains Martin, "and was fully complete last Friday. There has been a huge amount of work to get us here, yet there was never any doubt it would be delivered."
The GAA wouldn't be flush with examples of similar projects arriving both on time and on budget, and Martin says it will instill confidence to commit to further plans and fundraising drives.
"Sometimes when organisations launch a strategic plan, a lot of it is just on paper and it doesn’t always get seen. We have a huge amount of targets across the plan, but this is by far the most visible part of the plan.
"It’s at almost the highest point in Wexford Town. It’s seen from all over."
It’s not just a case of your standard lighting either.
Wexford GAA took the decision to go for the best in class, taking their cue from the Aviva Stadium lighting system, the integrated sound and light system means fans will be treated to a light show ahead of throw-in.
Ancillary lighting means the surrounding area and car park is also up to spec.
After Saturday, the footballers will have two league outings under lights, while the visit of Galway hurlers on 4 February has also had an immediate impact.
"There’s hardly a hotel room available that night I’m led to believe," he says.
"We have worked very closely with Wexford County Council and local businesses. We’re delighted that there will clearly be knock-on benefits for the local economy
A home round-robin fixture in April means Darragh Egan’s side are likely to be under lights come championship also, while county championship games later in the year will also get night-time throw-ins.
The hope is that the reach will extend outside the county also. Had the game come a year later, the club All-Ireland semi-final meeting of Ballyhale and Ballygunner could have been facilitated.
Ever since Wexford participated in the first competitive hurling match under lights – a heavy defeat to Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn in 2004 – talk has fluctuated around the possibility of night throw-ins in Wexford.
The demand for tickets has come about for a number of reasons Martin says.
"It’s obviously a landmark occasion, but there has been a huge amount of promotion put into it since before Christmas. The rivalry with Kilkenny helps, but so too does the split season. The Wexford hurlers haven’t been in action in more than six months, so there is a huge appetite to see them play."
There is also the small matter of the hurling.
The Slaneysiders must win if they are to reach the final against Galway, while the Cats, who facilitated the occasion given they were due to have home advantage, require just a draw to progress.
Twelve months ago the teams served up a humdinger of a clash, Conor McDonald’s last-gasp point securing a draw in a game played at times with, if not a championship feel, certainly a competitive league encounter.
We set out a vision to be best in class. We want to show that we are an ambitious county on and off the field
Something similar would be welcome Saturday evening, and whatever way spectators look, there promises to be no shortage of entertainment for those coming along for a slice of history.
"A light show in conjunction with the fireworks is certainly unique to GAA grounds in Ireland.
"We set out a vision to be best in class. We want to show that we are an ambitious county on and off the field."
