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Current Project Is Only Focus
County Chairman's Statement
on Park Esler
PRESS RELEASE
RE “DESTINATION NEWRY” DOCUMENT - 08/11/02
Statement from Eamonn O’Toole,
Chairman of the Down County Committee of the GAA
Senior
Officers of the Down County Committee were advised in August
that proposals were being mooted by a consortium of professional
and business people and council officials to provide a major
development adjacent to Park Esler in Newry. No details
were available but an option to incorporate Park Esler was
part of its thinking.
The County Committee and Trustees
of Park Esler have now seen the concept proposals, recently
made public by the consortium, and are very concerned that
this document makes major assumptions regarding Park Esler,
and its availability for such development, without proper
consultation with, or any agreement of, the GAA. The proposals
are entirely conceptual and subject to a number of considerations
– planning, financial and legal – and highly speculative
and uncertain.
The position is that ownership of Park Esler
is, and will remain, vested in the GAA. It is an exceptionally
heavily used facility at both county and club level and,
indeed, there is a need for more GAA facilities in Newry,
not less.
The County Committee embarked on a major refurbishment
and modernisation programme at Park Esler in the late 90’s
which, having passed all necessary planning stages and satisfied
stringent safety standards, is at an advanced stage. There
has been excellent co-operation and assistance from the
Association’s governing bodies, from Newry & Mourne District
Council, the Sports Council, the clubs of Down, and from
many benefactors – companies and individuals – who have
given generous financial support to the project.
The Down
County Committee, with a record of achievement, is committed,
with the Gaels of the County, to have this existing project
completed at the earliest possible date. A strategic plan
has long been adopted and approved by all the funding bodies,
and the County Committee has accepted its obligation to
raise its share of the remaining funds.
In this respect
a very committed independent support group – Club Down Association
– is working strenuously and with great success to expedite
this.
The purpose of this statement is to leave no one in
any doubt that the entire and only focus of the County Committee
in relation to Park Esler is to have the existing project
completed forthwith.
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