Council demand leaves 800 kids without training ground

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Knocknacarra Football Club has been ordered to remove generators powering temporary floodlights on the new astro turf pitch at Cappagh Park – leaving more than 800 children without a place to train during winter evenings.

The floodlights were being wheeled onto and off the full-size artificial turf pitch each day at the club’s home grounds.

Following complaints that they were operating without planning permission, Galway City Council ordered the club to remove the lights or lose the licence to use the state-of-the-art facility.

They were taken away last week, but there was deep unrest among club officials that their players would not be able to train in the evenings until next March.

Knocknacarra councillor Donal Lyons said local area councillors sought a meeting with Galway City Council to get concrete answers.

“The down side is of course that we now have at least 800 children who have no place to train over the winter evenings and this is the crux of the matter.

“It’s regrettable the children have been caught up in this with regards to the fact the Council consider it an unauthorised development. From a sympathetic point of view the club was used to training up to 9pm in the winter months – there seems to be no solution to this in the short-term.

“It will be short-term pain but for long-term gain because the City Council will not permit flood lights until such time as the planning is in place,” said Cllr Lyons.

The Council said in a statement to the Galway City Tribune: “The installation of the lighting towers had the potential to create various occupational hazards within the facility such as flammable liquids, excessive noise levels, units overturning, electrocution, environmental spills, ground conditions, trips & falls, minor burns, etc. No evidence of insurance was provided to the Council.”
This is a preview only. For full coverage and to read the Council statement in full, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. Buy a digital edition of this week’s paper here, or download the app for Android or iPhone.