by Alan Jacques
(Picture: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE)
COUNCILLORS in Newcastle West have unanimously supported a proposal to fund a feasibility study to get a €1million athletic facility in County Limerick up and running.
At a special area meeting, local representatives agreed that €50,000 should be set aside from the General Municipal Allocation (GMA) for special projects to fund the study after being told by the local authority executive that €50,000 was the minimum that could be set aside for special projects.
Fianna Fail councillor Michael Collins, a member of the steering committee for the athletics facility, said it would benefit all of West Limerick as well as parts of North Cork and North Kerry.
“This facility will be a home for local athletics clubs, schools and the disability sector and we need to make funds available to get it moving,” he added.
Fine Gael councillor John Sheahan seconded the proposal and said it gave the council an opportunity to leave a legacy in West Limerick.
Fianna Fáil councillor Francis Foley said Abbeyfeale would be an ideal centre for the facility and Newcastle West was a good location too.
Sinn Fein councillor Seamus Browne said a feasibility study was crucial to get the project off the ground and he was encouraged by meetings with Council chief executive Conn Murray that it would be carried out as soon as possible.
Fine Gael councillor Liam Galvin asked the council executive to keep councillors updated on progress and the cost of the feasibility study, which is predicted to cost somewhere between €5,000 and €15,000.
“I want to know if its looking like costing €20,000, €30,000 or €40,000. A feasibility study is a stepping stone to getting the ball rolling”, he added.
Cllr Jerome Scanlan (FG) said that a privately owned site previously identified in Killeline as a suitable location was “perfect” for the athletics track.
“We should provide reasonable funds. We don’t know where we will go from there, but the location we came up with at our last meeting is in my view the best,” he told councillors.
The proposed facility, with an estimated total cost of €980,000, would be the first of its kind ever built in County Limerick. The proposal, put together by parents of children involved in athletics, disability groups and local athletics clubs, calls for the purchase of a seven acre site to accommodate an eight lane 400 metre track with parking, toilets, storage sheds and changing areas.
Speaking after the special meeting in Newcastle West, local businessman Dan Cahill, a member of the steering committee, welcomed the “pro-active” approach to the proposal from councillors and the council executive.
“The provision of a facility will give athletics a platform to develop and breath new life into the sport in the region. It will be a much needed amenity for those attending the Brothers of Charity Early Intervention Centre and will provide a massive back-up to Community Games in the region.
“The athletics track will be a huge part of sporting infrastructure for schools. It will also help to integrate the large Eastern European community that have settled in the region over the past decade and, above all, it will be a fitness support and encouragement to the general public in the promotion of health, fitness and wellbeing,” he added.
