Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna has expressed dismay that a local residents association is citing the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in an objection to the construction of floodlights.
On October 5th an Bord Pleanála will decide upon two separate objections to floodlights being installed in Croke Park. They come from the Croke Park Residents Association, who have been at odds with McKenna for a number of months regarding ticket distribution, and the Iona Residents Association.
The Croke Park Residents Association have referred to the European Convention on Human Rights, article eight, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 12, which states: "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."
"These are very, very important documents that were created to deal with gross misuse of people's human rights, mainly in troubled areas like Darfur and Serbia, where intolerable situations have developed," said McKenna.
"We all subscribe to these human-rights issues but they do not exist to disrupt what is the trivial matter of constructing floodlights."
Light spillage is a significant point of concern but McKenna claims the brightness from the lights would be no greater than a "normal street light, as they are more like spotlights on certain areas of the pitch". The gantry lights will be dismantled after each game.
Issues such as visual intrusion and noise pollution will also be referred to in the objections.
If an Bord Pleanála rejects the GAA application then staging the Republic of Ireland soccer internationals against Wales, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany become a concern, as does the rugby international against England on February 24th, because of its 5.30pm kick-off.
Meanwhile, two Kerry legends lit up proceedings in the Goal Challenge in Tralee last night as Kerry fans bade farewell to Séamus Moynihan who played with Kerry for the last time.
However, it was the Maurice Fitzgerald-inspired South Kerry that prevailed, beating Kerry 4-13 to 5-4. At full-time, players from both sides formed a guard of honour as the crowd stood in an emotional farewell to Moynihan.
Scorers - Kerry: S Moynihan 2-0; C Cooper, E Brosnan, P Kelly 1-0 each; D Bohane 0-2; A O'Mahony, P Galvin 0-1 each. South Kerry: R O'Connor, M Fitzgerald, R Hussey, B Sheehan 1-2 each; S Fogarty 0-2; J Sugrue, D O'Dwyer, P O'Connor 0-1 each.
