Connaught final move a hammer blow to businesses in county town

THE GAA's Connacht Council has been urged to move the provincial final back to Castlebar for the sake of local businesses.

The Connaught senior football championship final between Mayo and Galway on July 25 is to be held in Croke Park, not MacHale Park as originally scheduled.

Mayo Aontú representative Paul Lawless said the decision is a 'huge blow' to the local economy in Castlebar and its surroundings in what has already been an incredibly difficult time for businesses in the county town.

He stated: “I am calling on Connacht GAA secretary John Prenty to please reverse the decision. The extra turnout allowed at Croke Park may benefit the GAA but only at a terrible cost to the local businesses that must suffer the consequences of the lost revenue of travelling supporters to our county town.

“The Connaught final in MacHale Park always boosts local businesses in the town. Businesses across Mayo have already been hammered, some of whom have been closed for over 15 months. It would be a great boost to many of these businesses due to open the week of the Connaught final.”

He continued: “The government parties have already distressed the hospitality sector this summer by prolonging the re-opening of indoor dining and now the local businesses of Castlebar are rightly annoyed that their challenges are expedited by the loss of this great opportunity.

“Deputy Peadar Toibin and I have called on the government to publish the evidence that says indoor dining is more dangerous in Irish pubs and restaurants than in every other European country. They haven’t responded.

“The summer season is crucial to the hospitality sector and now with such a late start to businesses being given the green light to open indoor, the loss of the provincial final in Castlebar exacerbates the problem for local business.”