Castlewellan's Bann Road Playing Fields Debate

The following forms the basis of the oral case put forward by St Malachy's GAC officials at a meeting called by Down District Council to try and find a resolution to the proposed options for Bann Road playing fields. Officials from the Town Soccer Club and Kilcoo GAC were also in attendance at the meeting held in the Community Centre in Castlewellan on Thursday 13th May 2004 -

St Malachy's GAC presently fields 18 teams in hurling and football including ladies football and membership is growing each year. Our requirements for use of the Gaelic pitche at Bann Road and Annsborough are best illustrated by the following booking arrangements with DDC during the the 2003 season as detailed below:-

Booking arrangements with Council in 2003 season:-

Annsborough: February(under foodlights) to October-- Adult Training - Sun. 11:00am to 13:00; Mon.Tues.& Thurs. from 7:00pm to 9:00pm & Sat. 4:00pm to 6:00pm - total of 126 training sessions.
Games: Senior Ladies,Senior Hurlers & Minor/U-21 Football - 9 games in total.

Bann Road: April to August (We have been unable to commence training in February at Bann Road because of lack of lights) -- Mon. to Fri. (5 nights) Junior training, 6:30pm to 8:30pm every night - total of 102 training sessions.
Games: Junior Football & Hurling , Ladies Football & Adult Football(third team)-11 games in Total.

Notes:
*Not included above - Ladies and Men's "Annual Sevens tournaments" in Annsborough & Bann Road August and September - 2 pitches in each venue. *A number of games in 2003 season had to be played in Dundrum because Annsborough/Bann Road not available. *We have been approached by girls anxious to form camogie teams in the Club but at present are unable to accommodate them because of unavailability of pitches.
* Several of our adult teams have had to travel outside Down District to use training pitches.

Wednesday May 5th 2004 is a typical example of Castlewellan GAC pitch requirements during the playing season:- Third team home to Bright @ 7.30pm at Bann Road; Minor footballers home to An Riocht @7.30pm in Annsborough; Senior Ladies home to Newry Bosco @ 7.30pm in St Malachy's Park; Senior football training in Annsborough soccer pitch @ 7.00pm.

St Malachy's Dublin Road Project: The decision by St Malachy's GAC to purchase land adjacent to the Gaelic pitch at Bann Road for the development of two additional Gaelic pitches for the Club at this location was based on Council assurances that there would be no change in the status of the Bann Road playing fields without the agreement of all parties concerned. When all work is complete it will cost St Malachy's GAC in the region of £500,000.00.

The wider GAA Community
Within a 3-mile radius of Castlewellan there are an additional three Division 1 GAA clubs all requiring usage of Bann Road Gaelic Pitch, plus St John's GAA Club at Drumaroad/Drumnaquoile, and the new Aughlisnafin Club. Both these Clubs are within a mile or two from Castlewellan. Also using Bann Road are Down U21s, Down Camogie teams, Down Junior hurlers, Down Ladies and St Malachy's High school.

GAA Teams in Castlewellan area

·Castlewellan--------------18
·Kilcoo--------------------14 (Kilcoo has 1 pitch and no Council facilities) ·Bryansford --------- -----18 (losing their training pitch at St Patrick's Park for flood alleviation scheme) ·Leitrim-------------------18 (although in Bannbridge Council many of their players and members reside and pay rates in Down District); ·St John's-----------------10
·Aughlisnafinn-------- ------3 (plus underage football teams starting 2005 season; ·Down U21's--------------- 1 ·Down Camogie------------ 2 ·Down jr Hurlers------------2 ·Down development squads-4
Total-90

Notes:
*The County teams referred to above use Bann Road on a regular basis because of it's central location and because many of the players are from the area.
* The above figures does not include Gaelic teams in St Malachy's High School and all the local primary schools who on occasions require the use of Bann Road facilities. *The Bann Road Gaelic Pitch cannot be looked at in isolation, as any loss of Gaelic games at Bann Road will increase pressure on the Annsborough pitch. *The dramatic growth in the popularity of Ladies Gaelic football since the early 1990's has increased the needs of all the local Gaelic Clubs.

Castlewellan GAC favoured option:
As far back as 1999, and before the soccer Club's application to lease both pitches at Bann Road, St Malachy's GAC submitted an application to the Council for the lease of the Gaelic pitch only, at Bann Road. The intention as stated in our application was to obtain grants, to upgrade and enlarge the pitch, to enclose with fence and to make the pitch available for all local Gaelic teams on a needs basis. St Malachy's application did not include any application for lease of the soccer pitch at Bann Road. Nevertheless following public advertisement by the Council of our application in the local press, objections were received and Council then informed us that there could be "no change in the status of the Bann Road playing fields without the agreement of all parties concerned". Our application is however still current and we have not received any formal rejection of our 5-year old application. This proposal still remains on the table, and the leasing arrangement can be co- joined by other local GAA users. To address the soccer club's concerns about their needs for access to both pitches on some occasions, we would be happy to enter into a user agreement that would facilitate all other users. Should the soccer club lease and develop the soccer pitch then we would expect that a similar arrangement could be entered into for Gaelic teams requiring use of the soccer pitch.

Conclusion:
Local Councillors and Down District Council have a responsibility to find a solution that satisfies the aspirations and needs of soccer football, Gaelic sports of football and hurling, camogie, ladies Gaelic football and indeed all other sports. The inability of the Council to provide sufficient sports grounds in expanding communities like Castlewellan leaves St Malachy's GAC with no alternative but to object to any proposals for the lease of both pitches at Bann Road. We have a duty to ensure that existing GAA facilities in the town are protected and enhanced so as to serve the evidently expanding requirements of Gaelic games in the area. We feel that this can best be served by GAA interests managing GAA pitches.

Both Castlewellan Soccer Club and Kilcoo GAC also put forward their favoured options for the Bann Road facilities and Council Officials will now report their findings to the Recreation Committee who will table the matter for further discussion at the next full meeting of down district council on 24 may 2004.