GAA President Larry McCarthy showed his support yesterday for the planned Renville Sports & Community Grounds of excellence as he walked the site for the development with members of the development’s Management Committee.
Mr. McCarthy also announced Cathal Mangan of Oranisland, Oranmore as winner of the brand new Ford Puma ST-Line X Hybrid, top prize for Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club’s Fundraising Draw with the winner announced on Galway Bay FM. Members of the wider Oranmore-Maree community backed the draw by purchasing tickets including diaspora from across the globe living in the US, UAE & Canada alongside generous bonus prize donations made through the Local Business Partnership Initiative established between Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club & twelve local businesses.
Speaking at the ‘Win a Car’ Draw event Mr. McCarthy said “it was great to visit my first club as GAA President today and hear about their exciting development plans in Renville. What an ambitious club, and brilliant to see such great cooperation across the community.”
Renville Sports & Community Grounds, will serve the sporting needs of the area with a number of all-weather and full size pitches. The vision for the development is to deliver in Renville leading sporting facilities which will benefit members of the area’s Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club (comprising Oranmore-Maree GAA Club, Oranmore-Maree Camogie Club & Naomh Mhuire Ladies Football Club) and the wider community for generations to come.
To date consistent work by the Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club and Renville Sports & Community Grounds Management Committee has seen the development being awarded a €2.1 million Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) grant by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is planned that Renville Sports & Community Grounds will include one 4G full size pitch (the first full size 4G pitch in County Galway); two all-weather grass based full size pitches; one juvenile pitch; three training / warm up areas; changing rooms with shower facilities; ball wall; a community facilities area; secure low level lit community walking / running track; a public children’s playground area; preservation of a ringfort as a local heritage and educational site, and a community parking area with accessible public toilets and baby changing facilities which can be used by all visitors to Rinville Park & Rinville Graveyard.
These amenities are greatly needed as there has been a huge population growth in recent years within the area. This has led to Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club operating at beyond maximum capacity with 88 GAA teams at present using the local community sporting facilities. With over 2,500 pupils attending school in Oranmore & Maree every day and with a combined growing membership of nearly 1400 people in the club, the vision for Renville arose out of an urgent need to develop new sporting facilities to cater for the rapidly expanding playing numbers from juvenile to adult level. Further approved and pending applications for future development of over 400 homes within the Oranmore village area will exert even more pressure on the existing sporting facilities.
Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club has invested €900,000 in the project to date between the cost of the land purchase and substantial funds used for studies related to the planning application.
Gerry Rabbitt, Chairman of Oranmore Maree GAA One Club, says “we are privileged as a club to receive the support of GAA President Larry McCarthy for the planned Renville Sports & Community Grounds. This is a very large and ambitious project which we have embarked on, as it is intended to deliver the sports facilities required for generations to come, in addition to adding vital community amenities to the Renville area. The financial contributions of the club members, local community and businesses in the area (€800,000 raised to date in contributions and donations) have been absolutely crucial in getting us to this point. We are aware that we will need further financial support throughout the next few years to complete our full vision for this state of the art facility and we look forward to working with all the stakeholders on this flagship development for Galway.”
Chairman of the Management Committee for Renville Sports & Community Grounds, Padraig O’Callaghan, says “I am delighted to see the success of GAA President Larry McCarthy’s visit to the site of the planned Renville Sports & Community Grounds. I was further buoyed to see the hard work of the ‘Win a Car’ Fundraising Committee & Ticket Sellers as well as the incredible support from the Oranmore-Maree community including Local Business Partners, paying off as they generated much needed funds to bring us closer to getting the development completed for Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club, most especially in these more challenging times. On behalf of Renville Sports & Community Grounds and Oranmore-Maree GAA One Club we wish to extend our heartiest congratulations to the winner of the top prize Cathal Mangan.”
“It is essential we keep driving the project forward.This can only be done with the support of the community helping us to fundraise the essential costs required to pay for what will become a magnificent development for the area and its people. It will be something we can all be proud of. There has been a phenomenal amount of work done already by members of the club, the Management Committee and the wider community. While we have a lot more to do, I have full confidence if we continue to pull together we will get there.”
Anyone who wishes to get involved with Renville Sports & Community Grounds Development or to donate to the project, can contact Derek Cullinane on 086 234 7793, or by email at [email protected]
Some of the key points for the project are:
- One Club formed by merger of Oranmore Maree GAA & Camogie Clubs & Naomh Mhuire Ladies Football
- 34 acres in Renville now fully owned by club
- Nearly €800k invested in land purchase and planning costs
- €700k in funds raised to date by club
- 71 teams at all age levels & 1280 members
- First full size 4G all-weather GAA pitch in Galway
In addition to vital sports facilities, will provide great amenities for the community, e.g. 2km lit walking track & extensive parking (with public toilet) for Rinville graveyard and Park
