Sports ‘campus’ on the cards for Wexford town

WEXFORD COUNTY Council is actively seeking land in the Wexford town area that could provide a sporting home for three soccer clubs.

Cllr Davy Hynes raised the issue of pitch space, saying there were three soccer clubs who had been seeking land for a pitch and had been very upset that a plot they were looking at in Coolcotts had been sold to a vulture fund. Cllr Hynes believed the land should have gone to the three clubs.

The three clubs in question are Wexford Albion, Wexford Bohs and North End United.

Cllr George Lawlor said that he had also been in contact with the clubs and had met with Council CEO Tom Enright to discuss the same. The council, he explained, was seeking land with a view to creating a kind of sports campus for the clubs and they were hopeful of moving forward with that.

He added that clubs depending on the whims of private landlords was not ideal and they really needed their own premises.

Cllr Lisa McDonald said there were other clubs too, such as the cricket club, who were looking for space along with other less-played sports that could be catered for in this project. She added that she believed the pressure that clubs were coming under was due to an increase in women playing sport and resources were stretched due to having more teams.

Cllr Tony Dempsey said the council had a responsibility to support minority sports and wondered if lottery funding could be accessed.

Cllr Frank Staples pointed out that, outside of Dublin, Wexford had the biggest soccer league in the country, and said he would hate to see clubs struggling and going out of existence.

Cllr Davy Hynes remarked that it was important to encourage people into something as positive as sport, saying it was good for physical and mental health.

It was agreed that the motion be ammended to include the three clubs and other sports.