Development the cornerstone of new G.A.A. plan

HOT OFF the presses from Wexford G.A.A. is an Infrastructure Development Plan for 2018-2021, with certain proposals about to have a re-launch, having been rested over recent years. Having kept a watchful eye on the area of development over the past seven to eight years, if my memory serves me right, I would have come across discussions in the past over the possible floodlighting of Innovate Wexford Park, but it was consistently put on the back burner owing to a lack of available funding.

The proposed plan about to be presented to clubs also includes the irrigation of Wexford Park. This is quite a costly system to have in place, and one which past committees were unable to entertain, once again because of the cost factor.

They have tried and tried to attain a proper playing surface, but the sand-based structure has failed, and it’s getting more and more difficult to have a playing surface to justify the amount of money that has already been spent.

I have tracked the background to Wexford Park long before its refurbishment, as it was always a pitch with a difficult drainage system, and like so many other things, it has not improved.

When floodlighting was mentioned, it would leave one to believe that such facilities cannot be utilised unless the playing surface problems are rectified.

Certainly, this is a pitch that currently would be unable to entertain a further catalogue of games to justify the installation of floodlights.

The proposed plan is also to include the development of a cafe and museum/memorabilia room. One wonders where all this memorabilia is to become available from since this is an area that takes years of gathering and is much coveted by those people who go to such lengths to collect the history of the G.A.A. through memorabilia.

There is no mention of dedicated press facilities to replace the out of date and over-crowded box available at present. But then again, the press would be down the pecking order of the current county management committee.

We must also spare a thought for the residents who no doubt will have much to say when it comes to the planning application, given their annoyance and patience being stretched, with lengthening seasons leading to increased evening and weekend matches.

The plan is being presented to the County Board at its next meeting in order to ensure that they are ready to respond to any funding possibilities from a variety of sources.

Also envisaged in the plan is the completion of the Ferns Centre of Excellence. I take this to be the completion of the clubhouse, with works to be finished for the gymnasium, meeting/tea rooms, and floodlighting of a third pitch, all of which was presented to the County Board at the end-of-year meeting of the past administration.

It does not explain why the €200,000 sports grant announced by Minister Paul Kehoe, some two years ago, to carry out the completion works has not yet been utilised.

One understands that money has to be spent on the works for which the grant was allocated, before grant money can be drawn down, but the clubs are surely entitled to an explanation.

This is particularly the case in light of their more recent announcement that the County Board wants to be in a position to respond to any funding possibilities from a variety of sources. It certainly makes for mixed reading.

The Centre of Excellence had been a problem, brought about largely by land transactions in Glenbrien and Ferns.

Now the County Board has ratified a development committee which includes past Chairman Ger Doyle, along with Cathal Byrne (Chairman), Aidan O’Connor, Des Croke, Bobby Goff, John Morris, Dave Ormonde, Joe O’Shaughnessy, Joe Sheehan, David Tobin and Seamus Whelan.

Past forays into development have left clubs with a massive contribution to make each year by way of the sale of 80-odd Model County draw tickets, amounting to €170,000, to meet the annual bank loan facility, plus additional sales to cover local radio advertising.

So one can see why it’s so odd to hear of Wexford G.A.A. embarking on what they describe as an ambitious Infrastructure Development Plan for 2018-2021, with a total cost of €2m, when the clubs are already levied with an annual €170,000 bank repayment, on top of their own ever-increasing running costs.