Cusack car park closer to green light after knotweed tangle
CLARE GAA chiefs are confident that their long-running battle with an infestation of Japanese knotweed next to Cusack Park is close to a conclusion. Officials purchased a site next to the Ennis stadium early in 2013 for a fee of over €500,000 with a view to turning it into a much needed car-park. Their long-term hope is that the sought after site may also be used for general parking throughout the week, raising vital funds for Clare GAA. But plans to develop the 1.8 acre plot had to be shelved after Japanese knotweed was discovered there, a highly invasive plant which can only be eradicated after several years of specialist treatment. The ornamental plant, first introduced to Ireland in the 1800s, has since spread out of control and has the potential to seriously damage houses, buildings, hard surfaces and infrastructure if not fully cleared. It’s understood that Clare GAA will have paid out around €9,000 to specialists by the time the area is fully cleared, most likely in 2020. It’s possible that work could begin on the new car park as soon as later this year though Clare GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald said a more likely timeline is ‘within two years’. ‘The growth of the knotweed in the past 12 months has been very minimal and we’re confident that the treatment that has been applied has worked,’ said Fitzgerald. ‘What we obviously want to be sure of is that it’s completely cleared. ‘It’s not something we’ve taken lightly or taken any chances with. ‘So we’re nearly there with it. I think next year is probably the timeline we’re looking at in terms of finally getting to use that land.’ Car parking for major games at Cusack Park is a major source of frustration for supporters. The ground is largely landlocked with the River Fergus to the north and developments on both the east and south sides of the ground.