THE news that Páirc Uí Chaoimh is set for a long overdue redevelopment is heartening.
The gradual disintegration of the venue over the past 30 years has been sad to witness.
Every visit in recent years seemed to make it look more and more dilapidated, further and further removed from the space-age type construct which first loomed out of the Marina in the mid-1970s.
While the GAA and the city need a proper facility  there that reflects the health of the games and the interests of the population, the current proposal does seem a tad ambitious.
Does Cork really need a 45,000-seater stadium for Gaelic football and hurling?
Entire championships will pass without the place ever being full.
Back in July, there were just under 27,000 at the Munster hurling final between Waterford and Tipperary.
Even allowing for the fact the provincial championships have lost some of their lustre in the backdoor era, two teams with plenty of support and short distances to travel couldn’t muster 30,000.
Against that background, it seems ludicrous to be aiming for 45,000 seats.

SEE today’s Evening Echo for full column