Skate park in Tralee moves a step closer

PLANS for the long sought skate park in Tralee took a step forward this week with senior management at Kerry County Council giving cautious backing to the proposal.

Many of Tralee’s youth have been calling for a skate park to be built in the town for years and in 2015 a number of petitions calling for a skate park – each containing hundreds of names – were presented to Kerry County Council.

State funding to build a skate park at the Tralee Sports and Leisure Complex was granted in 2005 but the project never went ahead.

Cllr Toireasa Ferris has been a vocal supporter of the proposal and at Monday’s Tralee Municipal District council meeting she asked management for an update on the matter.

Management said that they have been in talks with a group “loosely calling themselves the Tralee Skate Group” regarding the possible scale and location of a skate park.

Contractors and designers were also consulted about the potential cost of a skate park which they estimated at between €30,000 and €40,000.

Management said they hoped the Tralee Skate Group would formally ask for permission for the use of council grounds for the project but that even in that event the issue of funding it would “remain a substantial hurdle.”

Referring to the skate park in Limerick city Cllr Ferris said it was unacceptable that young people “have to travel outside the county to pursue a sport they love.”

Regarding the cost Cllr Ferris asked whether management would be willing to meet councillors half way if they agreed to use a portion of their discretionary allowances to fund a skate park.

Cllrs Norma Foley and Terry O’Brien both said supported Cllr Ferris’s call and said they would be willing to use their allocations to help fund the amenity.

“This is the single biggest thing identified by the young people in our community. Let’s get it over the line. If management asks councillors for support we won’t be found wanting,” said Cllr Foley.

Mayor O’Brien said he and his colleagues on the council would “do our very best to help fund it.”

Management said they will come back to the councillors soon with a more detailed cost and design breakdown.