A ‘significant’ grant, believed to be in the region of €250,000, has been recommended for the building of a clubhouse and dressing rooms at the Donegal GAA Training Centre in Convoy.
The news was revealed this evening by the outgoing Donegal GAA Chairman, Sean Dunnion, in his final address to delegates as he completed his five-year term in the office.
Last night, Dunnion, accompanied by Donegal Treasurer Cieran Kelly and Development Officer David McLoone, made a presentation to officials from Croke Park.
At 6 o’clock today, Croke Park’s finance committee confirmed that they will recommend the awarding of a significant grant next weekend to the GAA’s Management Committee.
“The training centre is an absolutely critical piece of infrastructure,” Dunnion said, noting that there had been a staggering 408 bookings at the venue.
He said: “It is vital that we see the building rise and be available for use in 2019.
“We are delighted to deliver a further grant for the Training Centre.”
In his written report to Convention, County Development Officer David McLoone revealed that construction on a building at the Training Centre will commence in May 2018 and will be completed by February 2018.
The new building will be a total of 1,270 square metres and will include seven dressing rooms, two referees’ rooms, a medical room, public toilets, plant room, switch room and stores; as well as a gymnasium, multipurpose hall and an admin area.
The tender package also includes an enclosure fence on pitch 1, an equipment shed, site lighting and a 200-seater stand, also on pitch 1.
Dunnion was only the fourth Donegal Chairman to serve a five-year term in the office, following on from Micheál Gillespie, Sean Cassidy and Charlie Faulkner.
“It has been an honour and privilege to serve as Chairman,” Dunnion said.
The Donegal town man outlined some of the challenges he faced since being elected in his hometown five years ago, in what was a sometimes emotional address.
He said: “Anybody and everybody seems to have an instant opinion on what they see now.
As someone said to me, at least when a major issue had to be dealt with ten years ago, you have three or four days before the next newspaper hit the shelves.
“Everything seems to make it into the public domain and is debated relentlessly. This increases the strain on voluntary officers.”
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