Plans for a dedicated training facility for Kilkenny’s high-flying hurling teams have moved forward, with planning now sought for the former Dunmore landfill site.
The Kilkenny GAA County Board made an official planning application to Kilkenny County Council last week for the development of training grounds to accommodate the county teams.
Plans to redevelop the old Dunmore landfill as a home of sporting excellence were first mooted one year ago and were welcomed as innovative by local councillors.
County Secretary Ned Quinn confirmed that planning had been sought for the training facility after they received clearance for development on the site from the Environmental Protection Agency last week.
The county board have submitted plans for a facility which will include two full training pitches, one with floodlights and both with ball stops behind the goals, and associated facilities.
The development will also include the construction of a clubhouse style building accommodating four team dressing rooms, a referee’s dressing room, a machinery store, toilets and associated parking.
The county board aren’t counting their chickens just yet but Mr Quinn said it would be a huge fillip for Kilkenny GAA to have its own dedicated training grounds.
“This has been a long project and hopefully it will come to fruition but you can’t second guess these things,” he told the Advertiser.
“At the moment we are totally dependent on the clubs for our training facilities, particularly in the winter time.
“The council have been very positive towards the idea since we first approached them, as have the local residents.”
He said the facility would be mainly used as training grounds for the top intercounty hurling and football teams but there was also the possibility of staging smaller, underage club games there.
“This would provide training facilities for all our county teams because trying to find pitches for all our teams can be hard. It will be particularly great with the floodlights because we’ve been using John’s College and clubs with floodlighting.”
Provisions have also been made in the application for a foul water treatment system and new site entrance gates and fencing.
When proposals to develop the former Dunmore landfill site as a training facility for the county GAA were first brought to the council last year, county manager Joe Crockett praised it as an innovative idea for a change of use for the site.
