The Louth GAA Centre of Excellence at Darver is destined to become a facility which will serve the county through the generations. Ganson Ltd is the development's main contractor, and joint managing director David Rogers spoke to Wee County.


Incorporating five full-size sand-based pitches and one full-size synthetic pitch, each benefiting from state-of-the-art floodlighting systems, as well as an engineered "sprint hill" and a two-storey clubhouse with 12 changing-rooms, offices, medical and meeting rooms, the Louth GAA Centre of Excellence is a massive investment in the future of the county's Gaelic games sides.
David Rogers, a long-time GAA stalwart with the St Kevin's club, is well-placed to speak about the Darver development. In addition to his position as the joint managing director of Darver's main contractor Ganson Ltd, he played county football for the Louth minors before a long career with Kevin's while wife Fiona won an All-Ireland medal with the Louth ladies. Meanwhile, the next generation, sons Cormac and Conor and daughter Aoife, represent the Philipstown club at under-7 and under-8 level respectively and could well be among the thousands who will benefit in the future from the establishment of Louth's Centre of Excellence.
It is precisely that - the future - which is the key to the Darver development, and Rogers believes the county will reap the rewards of the project for generations to come. Speaking to Wee County in October, he said: "It's going to be finished in the near future and I think it's definitely the right way forward. I know a few other counties have been following Louth's example since the decision was taken to develop a Centre of Excellence. If go up there any night of the week, and see the use it's getting, from the youngest to the oldest, you'll see the benefits of it."
His own career "lasted too long", he laughs. His time in the St Kevin's jersey included a Junior Football Championship success while he also has a strong background in other sports, having represented the Dunleer Athletics Club with distinction. As far as football is concerned, recognition at county level came early, as part of Paddy Clarke's minor side which reached the Leinster MFC semi-finals in 1982. Almost 30 years on, he still harbours some regrets. "Paddy Clarke was in charge back then and he was very good, an absolutely fabulous trainer. That was the last Louth minor team to reach the Leinster semi-finals, but it should have been even better. We were beaten in the semi-finals by Westmeath in Tullamore, when they scored two late goals. Dublin beat Westmeath in the Leinster final and the Dubs went on and won the All-Ireland that year. It's probably a case of what might have been."
Rogers has served St Kevin's as chairman in the past and is currently involved on the committee of the club's juvenile section. The club has made progress on that end of things in recent years with the purchase and development of a new juvenile playing field. Work on the new pitch was completed earlier this year and the official opening is set to take place in 2010. "The club purchased a bit of ground and we went about raising the money needed to get it ready," he said. "It was something that needed to be done and things have been coming along well enough at juvenile level. On the adult front, the team started well this year but it fizzled out a bit after that. We have had a few lads emigrate and that hurts the smaller communities very hard, but hopefully things will come round again."
Ganson Ltd came into existence in 2003, when Rogers and Monaghan man Paul McQuaid established the company at Balbriggan Business Park in north County Dublin. Old friends from their days at Dundalk Regional Technical College and Queen's University, where they were part of the Belfast college's Sigerson Cup side, the pair have succeeded in making Ganson a leading player in the general building and civil engineering sector.
In addition to the Darver project, Ganson Ltd has also landed several contracts within County Louth, including work on the kitchen and staff facilities at the Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, the relocation of the town's famous McCloskey's bakery to its new headquarters as well as projects for Louth County Council and Dundalk educational establishments Dundalk IT, O Fiaich College and Dundalk Grammar School.
On top of its commitments in County Louth, much of Ganson's workload also takes place in the Greater Dublin area, with the company undertaking all types of construction work - "projects from €50,000 right up to €10m," says Rogers - for government bodies and private clients.
"We've done a lot of work for Dublin City Council, such as restoration jobs and new-build houses," he says, "and the Department of Education is another client. We do a lot of new schools and extensions, as well as summer works, upgrading schools during the summer months."
Like all companies in the construction sector, Ganson has also experienced the rigours of the economic downturn, but David is hopeful that the corner will be turned sooner rather than later. "Things have been quieter for everyone," he acknowledges. "There is still work being done, it's just a bit harder to get it!" Tweet

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