Kildare County Council says no to fan zones for World Cups

Kildare County Council has rejected a call for fan zones - public gatherings for supporters- for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup and Rugby World Cup.

The call was made by Cllr Kevin Duffy, who called on the council to explore the option of setting up three zones - in the north, south and middle of the county - “to support our women’s and men’s national teams.”

He said this would  encourage participation in sport and generate economic opportunities for the area.

He also said it would also enhance the commitment to gender equality and create employment in the hospitality industry.

Read more Kildare news

But KCC official Marian Higgins said that while KCC is very committed to women in sport the logistics of opening fan zones are “quite extensive.”

She said the issues included observing health and safety regulations as well as ensuring that enough marshals  would be deployed to the venues.

Ms Higgins added: “Three would be a substantial ask.”

She added: “The scale, logistics and time required to organise such events requires  significant staffing and resources. While KCC realises the benefits of fan zone areas, it is more suited to event management companies in conjunction with the associated national governing bodies to develop and promote (these).”