Have a look at the two photos below and they can tell a tale or two…
Work underway on the redevelopment at Thomond Park:
and the second:
Kranks Korner, Catherine Street..
One institution is being rebuilt from the ground up, while the other is for sale, a tale of two institutitions of Limerick gone in opposite directions, a sign perhaps of what happens when the local touch is replaced by bigger business.
Rugby has deep roots in Limerick as all know and Fortress Thomond holds a special place and a special bond in the heart of not only Limerick people, but those of Munster, much of Ireland and from far away fields also. There was much rejoicing when the decision was made to redevelop on the original site of Thomond Park and then some trepidation when it was thought that the stadium naming rights were put up for sale to help pay towards the redevelopment. Such is the way of modern life and the need for money in modern sport that most people thought that it was a done deal that the name Thomond Park would be confined to history… at least thats what the business folk thought!
When Arsenal relocated from Highbury to a new stadium less than a mile away there was a certain amount of dismay when it was revealed that the naming rights of the stadium were to be sold. What was to be Ashbourton Grove Stadium has morphed into the Emirates stadium, courtesy of 100 million stg from the Far East airline for the naming rights to the stadium for ten years and at this stage only the purists are still upset over it. When one sees the stadium in the flesh it is easy to see why. Arsenal make the same money from selling ten thousand hospitality seats as they used to from a full house of 38,000 at the old Highbury. They have the bonus of selling another 50,000 tickets or the public at the Emirates stadium and as a result are now in the top ten highest earning football clubs in the world.
When the Munster branch announced they were going to try sell the naming rights for the new stadium, the masses revolted. The difference being that the masses who cherish the home of Munster rugby are all of the one breed, from those on the dole to those earning the big bucks. Fans and players alike are deeply aware and respectful of tradition. Someone once said that Rugby is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen and soccer is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans.
When one looks at the like of Joey Barton and his ilk, highly paid so called professional football players who think they are the dogs undercarriage and can do whatever bits of hooliganism they like wherever they want and get away with it, they only bring the differences between the two sports into sharper focus. While it may happen now and again, you rarely hear of any professional rugby players getting involved in trouble off the pitch and the vast majority of them are approachable and friendly and will mix with all types, not locked away in the vip section of some nightclub. While the professional rugby player gets only a small fraction of what many of the pampered players of the premier league in England get, they are still in touch with the common fan. Not many rugby players would be allowed get a big head – they wouldn’t get way with it!
Common sense has prevailed and the Munster branch have realised that while they could doubtless get good money for the naming rights to the new stadium it would never be known or accepted as eg Toyota Park. They have decided to get money from naming rights to the two main stands which will bring in revenue but Thomond Park will remain in place and in name… hard nosed business and the will of the common man (and woman). It’s not often the hard nosed boys lose out, but in this instance, all will win. The newly developed stadium will host its first international in November and there are hopes to bring some team from the southern hemisphere that play in black shirts to come pay a visit. Rumour has it they played here some 30 years ago and things didn’t go well. Isn’t it good to see that some things don’t change? (Not many teams of note have come to Thomond Park and won!)
Which indirectly bring me on to what used to be another institution for those of a certain age in town, that of Kranks Korner. Those of us who invested heavily in fast foods (i.e. ate way to our hearts content and now have the stomachs to show for it) have many fond memories of Kranks Korner which up until a few years ago was in local hands and ran well. Now it is up for sale, a sad decline for what used to be the best fast food premises in town.
Many of you young readers won’t remember when Kranks was only a small tiny version of what it was in recent times but in the good old days of the 80’s before the likes of McDonalds and even Supermacs came to town, Kranks was a small corner chipper ran by locals who knew their business and did the best burgers in town. A “club and chip” was the staple diet of many a Limerick person who used frequent its doors. While its chips were never world class, they were ok (you could always sneak down to the O Connell grill for the real thing), the club burgers and indeed any other burgers were in a class of their own and were the best in town, indeed if legend be believed in the West of Ireland, if not the known universe!
Progress being progress, the decision was made to expand, probably in the knowledge that the bigger franchises were coming and the premises lost most of its old charm, but still did a roaring trade as customer loyalty was strong! Some years ago the original owners sold up and the premises were bought by the chain called Wimpy. Being run by big business, the local connection was broken and sometimes decisions made from far away fields affect how an individual premises can trade in a local market.
Kranks closed its doors a few weeks ago and is now up for sale, a sign perhaps that when run locally a premises can prosper but when the local touch is lost, the customer may also leave. People can be fickle but when the quality isn’t the same, they shouldn’t feel obliged to accept any old muck! If Kranks were still in local hands it is doubtful that the for sale sign would be in the window!! Somehow the local fan is unlikely to leave Fortress Thomond, and soon it will be a lot bigger and many more can experience the joy and the bond that exists between crowd and team. Yes, there will doubtless be many of the prawn sandwich brigade there also, but sure let them off—they are paying through the nose for it, while the knowledgeable ones are in the front row baying for opposition blood.
Munster rugby and Limerick will have a brand new stadium to be proud of in eight months time. The red army will roar even louder. Sometimes progress doesn’t mean that tradition gets lost along the way.
Long live tradition!
