'Power vs principle central to Corrigan Park saga'
Antrim's ambition to host the All-Ireland champions Armagh at Corrigan Park was clear from the moment the draw for the Ulster Championship was made.The Ulster GAA's reservations with that have also been clear from day one with concerns over health and safety sign-off given Corrigan's limited capacity and increased ticketing demand.Antrim have remained resolute in their ambitions to bring this tie to west Belfast - and again this week nominated Corrigan Park as their venue.With the nine Ulster counties represented at Thursday's committee meeting, no-one seconded their proposal – while rules stated that another member could nominate a venue.Newry's Pairc Esler was put forward – and seconded in the room – giving the provincial council the authority to proceed with that decision.Antrim have somewhat dug their heels in, releasing a statement confirming Corrigan Park had statutory health and safety sign off from Belfast City Council – and garnered the supported of the players association, too.So, where do we go from here?Antrim have 72 hours to lodge an appeal to Croke Park's Central Appeals Committee (CAC), which I am told they are working on and is likely to be facilitated next week.If that is unsuccessful, Antrim would then have the option of the GAA's final court of appeal - the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA).The stakes are significant. If Antrim's appeal fails and they do not field against Armagh - as they previously stated - they would not only forfeit the game but also risk being disqualified from championship football for the remainder of the season.Right now, the mood within Antrim GAA is both defiant and febrile.They feel they have the broad support of the wider GAA public and the county will be presenting a united front ahead of this weekend's hurling fixture at Corrigan Park.This is playing out as rather unedifying for the GAA in Ulster - the provincial governing body too has dug in and it's now a case of who blinks first.Is this a case which will see the intervention of GAA president Jarlath Burns? Only time will tell, but this saga is far from over.
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