Heywood opens the gates
November 18, 2010FIRST FULL SIZED SYNTHETIC GAA PITCH
Part of a Top of the Range Sports Complex also Currently in Development
Heywood Community School, Ballinakill, Co. Laois today opened the gates to its 84m x 140m floodlit synthetic pitch, the first of its kind in the South Leinster area, at a launch event attended by National GAA Hurling Co-ordinator Paudie Butler and other sporting officials and clubs.
In 2007 work commenced on the €750,000 development of the Heywood Sports Complex which includes an 84m x 140m floodlit synthetic pitch, changing rooms, meeting rooms, fitness gym, ball wall and a hard core training area. There are now further plans in place to equip the changing rooms with ice baths, a sauna and steam room.
The project was financed by a combination of grants from the National Lottery, Department of Education and Skills, the Central Council and the Leinster Council of an Cumann Luthchleas Gael together with personal donations from parents and past pupils as well as, the Religious Trustees of the school, the Salesian and Brigidine Orders.
Speaking at the event Paudie Butler, National Hurling Co-ordinator said: Heywood Sports Complex "is the stuff people dream of and is a national project and sporting centre for all of Ireland as clubs can come from any part of the country to the world class facilities at Heywood . At the same time, Heywood Sports Complex is in the middle of nowhere but now in the centre of the world for the local community and sporting organisations. With this world class complex, kids can dedicate themselves to their fitness and their clubs which will in due course, I believe, will help to develop them into fine people and leaders in the community and I would encourage people to support it".
This development will greatly enhance the facilities at Heywood Community School, which already include a full sized floodlit GAA grass pitch and a large sports hall suitable for basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer and indoor circuit training. In addition, the school has provision for large scale catering facilities adjacent to the complex. The complex has already interested many clubs around the Laois, Kildare, Kilkenny and Carlow areas. Various county teams have also expressed interest in using the facility for training purposes.
David Dwyer, Principal of Heywood Community School and Secretary of the Sports Facilities Committee said: "We are most grateful to all who have made contributions to the project and we are confident that the Heywood Sports Complex will become a centre of excellence for sporting organisations in the area and further afield".
Also commenting at the launch of the new pitch Michael Reynolds, Administration Officer at Leinster Council said: "The new facility will be a major boost to the region and will greatly enhance the development of Gaelic games, particularly for juveniles. It will be much easier to organise winter programmes in the knowledge that top class facilities will be available." He added that second and third level fixtures would also benefit and he wished Heywood Community School every success with the project.
Looking to the future, Heywood aims to build up a partnership with local hotels and other local facility providers so that the sports complex will be in a position to develop a centre of excellence for clubs and county teams for weekend breaks, development squad training sessions and team bonding sessions.
The committee is open to suggestions and contributions on the future development of this idea and can be contacted at 057 8733333. Tweet
