THE AVIVA stadium was described as a “feather in the cap of our capital city” by Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
For almost 140 years, the Lansdowne Road ground had provided a venue for a diverse range of Irish sports, Mr Cowen said at the unveiling ceremony yesterday. “Anyone looking around this magnificent new stadium will instantly recognise that it is a very fitting tribute to that legacy.”
Mr Cowen said the facility “represents the past and the future, precious memories of moments of great drama and glory, and the hope of even greater sporting moments yet to come”.
He said the stadium would make a huge contribution to the sporting, economic, social and cultural life of Dublin “as a venue for important football and rugby matches, as well as concerts and conferences”. Following on from the Grand Canal Theatre, it “represents another feather in the cap of our capital city”.
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