Big step in the right direction
Lacken-Kilbride begin work
AFTER a number of years of uncertainty regarding a permanent home, Lacken-Kilbride GAA Club have commenced work on their grounds in Kilbride that will eventually consist of a full-size adult pitch, dressing rooms, Astro pitch for training and a running track.
With their stay at their old grounds ending some years ago, things were looking bleak for the amalgamated club. Kilbride first purchased the central grounds in 2007 at the height of the recession for over a million euro and looked to be in dire straits when the recession hit.
However, with part of the debt written off by the banks and with the sale of Kilbride lands in Tinode on the main Blessington to Tallaght road, the club now say they are left with a very manageable debt and are now in a healthy position whereby they have started to prepare their new pitch with work on the entrance and car park getting underway in recent days.
Lacken-Kilbride PRO Diarmuid Haughian says that the pitch in Kilbride has huge potential and that a substantial amount of money has been raised in recent weeks to help get the work started.
‘There’s loads of potential with this site,’ he said. ‘It’s a huge field about 400m from the local school. It will hopefully be a great amenity for the local communities,’ he added.
The pitch will be the same size as Croke Park when completed. Rumours had circulated that the site was unable to fit a full-sized pitch but Diarmuid Haughian says the club have been informed by an engineer and an architect that the site can easily hold a full-sized GAA pitch and cater for dressing rooms, a running track and a car park for 28 vehicles as well.
The amalgamated club have hit on lean times on the field of play in recent years but hopefully this exciting new development will lead to a brighter future for the West Wicklow outfit.