Mervue United FC will celebrate its 50th anniversary in September but it received an early birthday present when the Galway City Council granted permission for it to build a new seated stand.
At Monday’s city council meeting, councillors were asked to approve the development of a seated stand with capacity for 305 people at the Mervue United grounds in Mervue.
As the Mayor of Galway councillor Declan McDonnell is both a committee member and the club’s commercial officer, he excused himself from this part of the meeting to avoid any accusations of a conflict of interest.
Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh proposed that the new stand go ahead and he was seconded in this by Independent councillor Terry O’Flaherty.
“The club has proven to be a wonderful facility for young people across Mervue and the city through the years,” said Cllr Walsh. “It is one of the city’s most successful clubs and the development of this stand will bring it to the next stage.”
He also said residents’ concerns over parking arrangements and access to the nearby Fahey’s Field had been sorted out. The proposal received the backing of all councillors.
Mervue Utd was formed in 1960 and among the founding members was Mayor McDonnell who has served as both a player and an official. The club has won numerous senior titles over the years and in more recent times has seen its youth teams achieve many league and cup victories. The club was recently promoted to the League of Ireland First Division.
