Tallaght Town AFC back in the game with winning premier deal
By Mary Dennehy
TALLAGHT Town AFC is back in the game after a local juvenile football club secured a deal that will see its 280 members move onto Tallaght Town’s former home ground on the Kiltipper Road.
Postal Aylesbury FC has secured Carolan Park, and the name of Tallaght Town AFC, for its 22 teams, with the club hoping to secure grant funding of €150,000 to develop the land into a top-class facility, complete with club house.
Despite having no teams for a number of years, the Tallaght Town committee, which own Carolan Park, remained in existence.
In recent years, the committee of Postal Aylesbury agreed a deal with the Tallaght Town committee to renovate and operate the 10-acre Carolan Park on Ballymana Lane, just off the Kiltipper Road.
Over the past two years, the Postal Aylesbury committee transformed the land into a fit-for-purpose football facility for its members, who were playing across pitches at the Postal Club and Carolan Park.
However, according to Alan Merriman, Postal Aylesbury FC chairman, the committee felt that further investment was needed in Carolan Park and they met the Tallaght Town committee to outline their plans.
Mr Merriman said: “We were training between Carolan Park and the Postal Club, but we needed more space.
“We approached the committee of Tallaght Town FC and reached an agreement that the committee of Postal Aylesbury FC would step forward as the new committee of Tallaght Town . . . and take on the grounds and the club name.
“Two of the old committee members, Mick Whelan and David Fennell, have also stayed on board and are on the new committee.”
He added: “This is a massive positive for our club and for football in Tallaght in general.
“So much development has happened up this end of Tallaght, but nothing additional in terms of sporting facilities or amenities for young people has been provided.
“The former [Tallaght Town] committee was delighted with the way it worked out, as they want Carolan Park to be used by the kids in the area.”
Part of the agreement reached with the old Tallaght Town committee stipulated that Carolan Park can never be sold and that it can only be used for soccer.
Alongside cutting out rental fees, securing the land also allows the new Tallaght Town committee to apply for a sports capital grant, with the club in February applying for funding of €150,000 – which will be used for development of a clubhouse on site.
A planning application has this month been lodged with South Dublin County Council by Tallaght Town AFC for the development of the new clubhouse at Carolan Park, including an extension to the existing car park and relocation of car park entrance.
Mr Merriman said: “We have applied for funding for a basic clubhouse with dressing rooms, toilet facilities and a classroom area for the kids . . . in the hope of developing Carolan Park into a top-class facility with an academy and, eventually, senior teams.
“While it may take time to get used to the new name, in the long term this is fantastic for the stability and longevity of the club . . . and will rejuvenate our club while bringing back Tallaght Town AFC.”
He added: “The Postal Club is still very much in our plans, they were always very good to us and helped us to grow into what we are today.”
TAGS Tallaght
