DROMAHANE GETS €97,000 ‘TO PLAY WITH’
PROJECT WILL MAKE DROMAHANE ‘THE ENVY OF COMMUNITIES FROM ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY’
AN ambitious plan to develop a community playground in Dromahane was this week given a massive boost after a funding package of almost €100,000 was announced for the project.
In 2014 Cork County Council purchased a 6.4 acre site in the heart of village from the Sisters of Nazareth for an undisclosed sum and subsequently agreed to lease it out to the Dromahane Community Park Group on a 20-year lease.
The following year the group was granted planning permission to develop the site into an amenity park, incorporating a playing pitch, multi-use games area and playground with associate, lighting, walkways and pedestrian/ vehicular access points.
The make up of the proposed park came about as the result of a communitywide consultation process in which locals were asked to submit their ideas for the facility.
At the time local county councillor John Paul O’Shea said the project would make Dromahane “the envy of communities from across the entire county.”
He said there was a recognition that Dromahane, like many other villages across north Cork, had been left behind in terms of amenities to cater for their growing populations.
“This new park will go a lot way to addressing the deficient in local amenities and will, I’m sure, become a blueprint for other villages to follow,” he said.
The playing pitch element of the project was developed last on foot of a grant from Cork County Council.
Now the group can begin planning in earnest for the playground, after being awarded a grant of €97,000 for the facility by the North Cork Local action Group (LAG) through its implementation partner the Avondhu Blackwater partnership under the LEADER programme (2014-2020).
The grant was given a warm welcome by Cllr O’Shea, an LAG committee member, who described it as “wonderful news for the local community.”
“Dromahane has grown considerably in recent years with a significant number of young families choosing to live in the area. The creation of a community playground will enhance the community life of the village and will also help to address the current identified needs of the area,” he said.
Mary Manning, chair of the Community Park Group, said the community was now commencing on a “very busy but interesting journey”.
“There will also be a significant amount of local matching funds spent on the new playground bring the total expenditure to approx €130,000. I want to thank everyone who has helped us and sponsored us on this journey to date,” she said.
Avondhu Blackwater CEO Valerie Murphy said the partnership as “delighted” to be able to support the project.
Locals can view a short video showing an artists impression of the planned new playground by following the link at https://drive.google.com/ file/d/0B669INXZT0mbWFpZRkNjZzhwYms/