We have received some great news around the joint development between Athenry Football Club and Athenry Athletics Club.  Our application to the Leader Fund to construct a pathway from the current car park in the football club up to the development site has been funded which will now allow us to finally get the project underway.  The money we have received will also allow us to purchase outdoor gym equipment which will be situated on the perimeter walkway around the development site.  We feel that it is important to develop a community facility that can benefit as many people within Athenry and its environs as possible ‘By the Community for the Community‘ is the way we see this.  The perimeter walkway will be accessible to all and the addition of outdoor gym equipment is a nice touch to have.

It is hoped that within the next few months we will also commence work on the main part of the development site. We have agreed that this year we will use our own funds that are raised through your annual memberships, and the proceeds from the St Stephens Day 1K run along with funds from the football club and the main Fields of Athenry 10K run to level the site and to provide a temporary surface which will be useable to train on.  A further application is being made to the Leader Fund for additional works to the site and we will be resubmitting our proposal for Sports Capital funding to enable us to carry out the major works on site to deliver the track facilities and the all-weather soccer pitch.

On behalf of the Moanbaun Sports Development group I would like to thank everyone in the football club and the athletics club firstly for their patience and understanding in the time it has taken us to kick off this project, but also for the invaluable expertise and advice we have received both from within the clubs and also from people outside the clubs.

Iain