[1] Its nickname was due to its close association with the then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
[3] The government-built stadium was planned to hold 75,000, and was central to Ireland's joint (and ultimately unsuccessful) bid with the Scottish Football Association to host UEFA Euro 2008.
[4][5] The Stadium Ireland project was abandoned by September 2002 because of spiraling costs and waning support.
[5][6] Government backing was instead given to the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road into the Aviva Stadium, which officially opened in May 2010.
[7] Ahern remarked in April 2020 that the "Bertie Bowl" could still be built if someone had the "political guts".