Leitrim GAA club applies for planning permission for MAJOR works on club house

Last Monday, Leitrim county council received a planning permission application from Carrigallen GAA club for major alterations to their clubhouse facilities after receiving a series of major grants.

The improvements will include converting an existing clubhouse attic space into a multipurpose area with a sensory room, toilets, disability lifts, and stairs from the first floor. 

The club has received money from CLÁR, The Community Recognition Fund, The Leader grant, and Sports Capital Funding. 

“It’s brilliant, it's a fair start, but it couldn’t be done without grants, not in a small rural parish in Leitrim, or any parish in Leitrim couldn’t do this sort of thing without grants,” says Michael Reilly, chairperson of the club.

He also outlines the goal of improving disability access in the club building to better accommodate the All stars programme that the club runs with children with disabilities which currently held outside when the weather is suitable.

“It’s trying to give everyone the same opportunity. I suppose one time GAA was just about kicking football but it has gone beyond that, it’s trying to cater for everyone and everyone is equal,” he says.

The application also includes their plans to convert part of their training field into a 60/30 Metre astro pitch, as well as an indoor sports arena of the same size.

 “I have to pay particular thanks to the executive and it's members who succeeded and did all the work for this, it was led by Anne Maire O’Rourke, our grants co-ordinator and her team of Con Dolan, Beirne Dolan, and Ciaran Harte, along with the excutive board they were the ones that put in the work, and really to get grants these days you have to put in a lot of work” 

The decision on the application is scheduled to be made by the 8th of January of 2025 and if approved the works will need to be completed by the end of 2025, according to Reilly.

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