The Mayor of Donegal, Councillor Gerry McMonagle, has called on the Council to invest in the development of the football pitch at Oldtown in Letterkenny.
The Sinn Féin Councillor was speaking at the monthly meeting of the Letterkenny Municipal District in Milford, where he asked that the pitch be developed to Donegal League standards with dressing rooms and a regulation size football pitch.
“This pitch belongs to the Council,” Councillor McMonagle noted.
“It wouldn’t take much to get it up to the standard of the Donegal league and fulfilling ambitions of providing playing facilities.
“This pitch has been played on for donkey’s years. We need to redevelop it and I’m looking for the Municipal District to spearhead it.”
Councillor McMonagle pointed out that there are active teams in Letterkenny, such as Glencar Celtic, Orchard United and Glencar Schoolboys, who have no permanent pitch while Letterkenny Rovers are tenants of the Aura Leisure Centre.
“We need to invest more in sporting facilities,” he said. “The fact that this is Council-owned should spur us on.
“We have many teams who do not have their own facilities, yet we own this pitch. This pitch was being used and was kept well by the Town Council, but sadly it has fallen into disrepair.”
Donegal County Council Director of Services, Liam Ward, said that such a move would come with a ‘significant budgetary requirement’.
He added: “The budget provision isn’t there at the moment. The Council would be happy to explore what options are there. We would need for it to be accepted and understand the financial implications.”
Councillor McMonagle said that the Council’s executive should look at how it can provide municipal playing fields.
He said: “When there is a shortage of playing facilities, especially for underage football, we have one such facility and we have abandoned it and let the elements take it over.
“Let us cost it and see what funding streams are there. We need to help put it back in working order.”
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