The sporting needs of this and future generations in the Oranmore area received a mega boost this week when An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the much needed Renville Sports & Community Grounds, a Sports Centre of Excellence, in the area of Oranmore-Maree. Renville Sports & Community Grounds will serve the sporting needs of the area with a number of all-weather and full size pitches, and other community facilities.
The vision for the development is to deliver in Renville leading sporting facilities which will benefit members of the Oranmore Maree GAA One Club (Oranmore Maree GAA Club, Oranmore Maree Camogie Club & Naomh Mhuire Ladies Football Club merged in 2019 into one integrated club ) and the wider community for generations to come.
It is planned that Renville Sports & Community Grounds will include one 4G full size pitch; two sand based grass full size pitches; one juvenile pitch; three training / warm up areas; club pavilion with multiple changing rooms; ball wall; a community facilities area; secure low level 2km lit community walking / running track; public children’s playground area; preservation of a ringfort as a local heritage and educational site and a community parking area with accessible public toilets and baby changing facilities which will help further service Renville Park and Graveyard.
These amenities are greatly needed in the Oranmore-Maree area. There has been a huge population growth in recent years within the area, with the population approaching 10,000. This has led to the Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club operating at beyond maximum capacity with nearly 100 GAA teams at present using the local community sporting facilities. With over 2,500 pupils attending schools in Oranmore & Maree every day and with a combined membership of nearly 1,700 people in the club (over 1,000 boys and girls ), the vision for Renville arose out of an urgent need to develop new sporting facilities to cater for the rapidly expanding playing numbers from juvenile to adult level. The club membership has grown by 60% in the last five years and is expected to continue to grow strongly with the ongoing and future development of many new housing developments in the area.
€1.1m invested so far
Oranmore Maree GAA One Club has invested over €1.1m in the project to date between land purchase, planning and fundraising costs. In 2019, the Renville Project submitted an application to the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF ) for the development of Phase I of the project. Only national governing bodies could apply to the LSSIF and Renville was one of only seven LSSIF applications submitted by Croke Park and the only one West of the Shannon. In 2020 the project was awarded a LSSIF grant of €2.1m.
Chairperson of Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club Sean Greene said he is absolutely delighted that An Bord Pleanála has reached a decision to grant planning permission for the Renville Sports & Community Grounds Project.
“This is incredible news for Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club. We have overcome one of the greatest hurdles in making this dream for the Club come to life. It has been a long rollercoaster of a journey to this stage. We initially applied to Galway County Council for planning in 2018, received planning from them in 2019, only for it to be subsequently overturned by An Bord Pleanála due to concerns regarding a junction near our proposed entrance.
“They had no issues with the master plan for the site. We worked with Galway County Council to identify the works required to address the concerns that An Bord Pleanála had for the junction and subsequently submitted a new application for the project, including these junction works, in 2021. Galway County Council granted planning a second time in September, 2021. We have been waiting for the last 18 months for a decision from An Bord Pleanála and therefore it is a huge relief for all involved to finally get a positive decision from them.”
The club set up the Renville Sports & Community Grounds Management Committee in 2017 to develop this state of the art project, and Chairperson of this committee, Padraig O’Callaghan said it is a privilege to be involved in the drive to make Renville Sports & Community Grounds a reality.
“As a committee we have undertaken to implement the vision the club has for this fabulous project on behalf of the Club and local community. We purchased the initial 24 acres for the project in October 2017 with an additional ten acres added in April, 2019. I would like to compliment all of the people who have persevered and shown incredible loyalty and commitment to the project over the last 6 years, to finally achieve the planning for this vital development for the whole community.
“On this great day for the project, I would like in particular to remember the first Chairperson of the Renville Committee, Sean Kinsella, who passed away in September, 2020. He was a huge driving influence on getting the project to this critical milestone. I would also like to acknowledge the huge support we get from our club members, wider community and local businesses – to date we have raised a massive €950,000 for the project.”
Heart of the community
Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club Development Officer, Derek Cullinane, said that for over 50 years, Oranmore-Maree GAA has been at the heart of the community, ensuring all people are given the opportunity to participate in gaelic games and in supporting the holistic health of members and the wider community.
“It is imperative we continue to provide these opportunities for all community members as existing facilities do not cater for the current need. Full scale All Weather playing and training facilities are badly needed immediately to alleviate the already vastly overstretched demand. Renville Sports & Community Grounds will greatly enhance the quality of life within the Oranmore-Maree Communities, not only through the planned playing facilities but also through the Community Areas included in plans for the development.
“With this planning decision and the LSSIF €2.1m grant, we will now be able to kick off Phase I of the project. This will be a €3m project, with the main groundworks to be undertaken later this year, with the full size 4G astro pitch delivered in the first half of 2024 and the grass pitches ready to play on in 2025. These are really exciting times for the club,” he said.
To supplement the LSSIF grant, the club will need to raise an additional €900,000 for Phase I of the project and It is anticipated that this will be raised through ongoing local fundraising drives, such as the hugely successful Gala Event recently held by the club in the Galmont Hotel.
Over 400 people supported the event, including well known GAA guest stars Colm “Gooch” Cooper and Tomás Mulcahy. Anyone who wishes to get involved with the Renville Project or to donate, can contact Derek Cullinane on 086 234 7793 or by email at [email protected].
