GAA Club secure planning for pitches at Carmelite site
By Hayden Moore
BALLYBODEN St Enda’s GAA Club have finally secured planning permission for the construction of playing pitches and facilities at lands in which they purchased for an amount believed to be in the region of €750k in 2018.
On June 8, ‘Boden got the green light from South Dublin County Council to build two playing pitches and four changing rooms on lands adjacent to the Carmelite Monastery Church.
Ballyboden St Enda’s GAA Club will construct two pitches at the site adjacent to the Carmelite Monastery Church
The first pitch measures 145m long by 90m wide with a small pitch, measuring 133m long by 80m wide, forming the biggest focus of the plans.
Storage facilities, function rooms, meeting rooms and physiotherapy rooms are also included in the proposed development along with 67 car parking spaces and 24 bicycle spaces.
Getting the planning permission over the line has been a long process for St Enda’s.
The club first voted to purchase the lands at an AGM in 2017 and they secured the deal – which The Echo understands to be in the region of €750,000 – in July 2018.
The deal for the lands did not include the Carmelite Monastery Church or surrounding buildings.
Image of the plans
Since making the purchase official, which is approaching three years, the club have been working thoroughly to secure planning permission on the site.
Now, a year since applying for planning permission, Ballyboden St Enda’s can look forward to turning the sod on the facilities – although they have no plans to do so yet.
“No decision has been made yet in relation to that,” Chairperson of the Development Committee in Ballyboden, John Ryan told The Echo.
“Our total focus has been on securing planning permission for the site and now that we have, we can shift our focus to the next steps.
“Now that we have secured planning permission for the construction of two pitches, changing rooms and other facilities we can focus on financing it, which will of course be our biggest challenge.”
