Centers of excellance

[rodney trotter]

Why do these places need so many pitches. ...cavan have the 3g and half size training pitch behind breffni and I'd say
its loads. Was at the Louth one last year and there must have been 5 mostly  flood lit pitches.  When are even 3 of them used at the same time. .....

It's a priority more then anything else to have 2/3 pitches for Cavan anyway. (Most counties id imagine) Under age Squads, Senior Men and Women and Camogie.

Even with that, the 3g is a great facility for clubs to play a game on, if club pitches are unplayable.

[Crete Boom]

Why do these places need so many pitches. ...cavan have the 3g and half size training pitch behind breffni and I'd say
its loads. Was at the Louth one last year and there must have been 5 mostly  flood lit pitches.  When are even 3 of them used at the same time. .....

We have 3 pitches in Thurles, in Dr. Morris Park, and there are certainly occasions when it is hard to get into them. I've had to bring development squad games to Templemore, Nenagh and Killea to get a free pitch at times. Tipp has Senior Football and Hurlers, Intermediate Hurlers, U21 Footballers and Hurlers, Minor Footballers and Hurlers along with U17, U16, U15 and U14 development squads in both codes. All of these would be looking to use Dr. Morris Park at various stages.

Depending on clubs to give you training facilities is a manager's heartache and headache. All clubs have loads of teams now as well, and with the ladies football and camogie expanding as well, it's tough to even get a loan of a club ground depending on the night you want, so a centralised, controlled centre with multiple pitches is not a luxury, I think it's a necessity.

So true I remember the Mayo minors having to train on Ballina RFC's pitch as it was the only pitch free during one very wet summer.

[The Insider]

In Longford's case the first option that will be explored will be coming to a quick agreement with the trustee's of St Mel's to base activities there . GAA and school and state are all winners here, 2nd option , identify 3 or 4 club grounds across the middle of the county, Mostrim, Shroid and Cullyfad for example and upgrade facilities in exchange for access , clubs are winners, final option  go through the process again ,identify potential site , go through planning and subsequent appeals which will happen in Longford's case and have whole thing drag on for another 5 years . No winners here .

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway footballers have had their centre of excellence built since the mid 2000's in Loughgeorge and a fine facility it is as well.

http://www.sportsmanager.ie/cake/gaa2/gc/contentPage/41859/loughgeorge

Unfortunately we seemed to produce better players when they just had a shed to change in. And cold showers.

[seafoid]

Why do these places need so many pitches. ...cavan have the 3g and half size training pitch behind breffni and I'd say
its loads. Was at the Louth one last year and there must have been 5 mostly  flood lit pitches.  When are even 3 of them used at the same time. .....

We have 3 pitches in Thurles, in Dr. Morris Park, and there are certainly occasions when it is hard to get into them. I've had to bring development squad games to Templemore, Nenagh and Killea to get a free pitch at times. Tipp has Senior Football and Hurlers, Intermediate Hurlers, U21 Footballers and Hurlers, Minor Footballers and Hurlers along with U17, U16, U15 and U14 development squads in both codes. All of these would be looking to use Dr. Morris Park at various stages.

Depending on clubs to give you training facilities is a manager's heartache and headache. All clubs have loads of teams now as well, and with the ladies football and camogie expanding as well, it's tough to even get a loan of a club ground depending on the night you want, so a centralised, controlled centre with multiple pitches is not a luxury, I think it's a necessity.

So true I remember the Mayo minors having to train on Ballina RFC's pitch as it was the only pitch free during one very wet summer.

Was the Valley of Diamonds dune on the beach in Enniscrone eventually caused to be made off limits to the public because of all the sports teams that were using it for training and making shite of it?

[Wildweasel74]

Drove by that set up in Louth alright coming from navan one day, was quite impressive, though Louth need to do a serious upgrade of their pitch in drogheda, its fairly poor but is on a confined site, a new pitch outside of drogheda would be a great plus, but no point if they couldnt get the support to macth it

[The Worker]

How for on is the dunsilly project in Antrim? Are the plans on hold with the work at casement?

[Shamrock Shore]

In Longford's case the first option that will be explored will be coming to a quick agreement with the trustee's of St Mel's to base activities there . GAA and school and state are all winners here, 2nd option , identify 3 or 4 club grounds across the middle of the county, Mostrim, Shroid and Cullyfad for example and upgrade facilities in exchange for access , clubs are winners, final option  go through the process again ,identify potential site , go through planning and subsequent appeals which will happen in Longford's case and have whole thing drag on for another 5 years . No winners here .

Jases Insider....you'd want to be careful there as you know what happens to people with sensible ideas in Longford.

I am sure you can moot this through your club and see what happens....I am sure Declan Rowley in Mels would be amenable to the idea. However if I recall correctly Mels is built on a swamp and the pitches there in my day were just this side of a mudbath - especially the so called Junior field where it had been known for 1st years to get lost for a week or so under the mud.

It would be a good idea to develop as well the grounds you mentioned but then I can imagine there would be a bit of moaning from other clubs as to why they wouldn't get the development funds. Jesus, Longford is a small county and doesn't take too long to traipse from one ground to another.

[The Insider]

St Mel's was the original site for the Longford center , but a stop was put to it by the church at a high level as surplus lands might need to be sold to fund the "Redress scheme" With Declan Rowley as the new principle and a new bishop in place the Celtic Tiger misplaced  building land around Longford is now of little value so the original  plan may come to fruition now. At the minute Mel's are in the process of planing an all weather grass pitch . A minimum 50 -100 year lease would have to come into place to protect the GAA funds that would be invested in the project here.

[Itchy]

Why are they called "centres of excellence". Are they not just all weather pitches and dressing rooms

[neilthemac]

The location for the proposed Roscommon one is definitely wrong.

It's too close to the Bekan facility to get games and not central enough in the county for all clubs to make use of.

Plus, lots of money was wasted in Kilbride

[omagh_gael]

BBC report on the official opening of Tyrone's Garvaghey facilities, fair play to all involved in making this a reality.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24291734?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

.

[rosnarun]

Why are they called "centres of excellence". Are they not just all weather pitches and dressing rooms

well the connaught one has a littel more
The Centre is comprised of the following:-

•Five full size Prunty pitches.
•One 3G Pitch
•Perimeter walking/running track (2.2 Klms)
•Flood Ligh0ng for five of the six pitches
•Parking: 400 Cars
•20 Buses
Main Building
The main building is comprised of:

•Reception Area & Office
•Six Dressing Rooms/Referees Rooms
•Three Meeting Rooms
•Lecture Theatre
•Board Room
•An Analysis Suite
•Gymnasium
•Functional Movement Room
•Two Physio Rooms
•Dining Hall and Kitchen
•Six Administration Offices
•Four Storage Rooms

[playwiththewind1st]

How for on is the dunsilly project in Antrim? Are the plans on hold with the work at casement?

Dunsilly will be great, probably. After that, we just need some hurlers & footballers.

[Hardy]

What's an analysis suite?
What's a functional movement room?