According to this report in the Mayo News, the long drawn-out problems relating to planning permission about various aspects of the McHale Park redevelopment – notably the TV tower and the floodlights – are finally at an end.  The quangocrats at An Bord Pleanála have spoken and they have granted permission, subject to 16 conditions, for the development.  Official confirmation of An Bord’s decision is here but there’s very little in the way of detail provided.

This long-awaited decision means that we can finally get to have league matches under lights at the venue and it clears the way for our 2011 NFL opener against All-Ireland finalists Down at 7.30 pm on Saturday, 5th February, to be the first such home match for us.  I’m a big fan of Saturday night league games and it’ll be great to see this experience coming to Castlebar for the first time.  Indeed, with four home ties in the 2011 NFL campaign, it’d be good if at least one more of them – perhaps the Round 2 one against our old pals from the Kingdom – were to be switched to the Saturday night as well.