GAA: STARTING WORK on a new €3.2 million Centre of Excellence at a time when many clubs and county boards are struggling financially might seem a little extravagant or possibly even reckless – or indeed both.

As far as the Sligo County Board are concerned the time is distinctly “opportune”, and having completed all the necessary background work, they intend to have the developers on their 22-acre site at Scarden, about 5km outside Sligo town on the Strandhill Road, by the end of the month.

Sligo county board chairman Cyril Feehily has been one of the driving forces behind the project, which was first mooted six years ago as part of a county strategic plan entitled “Moving Forward With Sligo”. As it happened land and development prices during the Celtic Tiger era persuaded the county board to delay the project.

Wisely, of course – at least with the benefit of hindsight.

“In terms of purchasing the site we were talking in millions then,” explains Feehily.

“Now we’re talking hundreds of thousands. I suppose some prudent financial management, really, over the last number of years, has given us the opportunity to firstly buy the site, which we paid for last year – after fees and planning permission – for in the region of €560,000.

“So it’s ours now. And secondly we had some money ring-fenced in our accounts to put us in a position to start the project now.

“Also, at the end of last year, we were second from the bottom across all counties regarding overall expenses for the year.

“So it is now cheaper, for sure, because of the current economic climate, and the way the whole costing of materials and labour and everything else has gone.

“We’re full of enthusiasm about it, have no qualms at all about driving ahead, and feel now is the opportune time to do it.”

Phase one of the centre consists of the development of three full size sand-based playing pitches, plus all underground works, bases for floodlights and dugouts, and perimeter fencing.

Phase two, which will go out for tender later in the year, will see the construction of a 15,000 sq ft building which will include four dressingrooms, physio rooms, meeting rooms, and a gymnasium – with the Sligo county board’s administration office also eventually being be relocated to the Scarden site.

“We budgeted for €3.2 million overall,” says Feehily, “and we’d be fairly happy that’s well within our range. We’ve two qualified accountants on our accounts committee, one of them being county treasurer.

“And we have people from various professions on our committee, both development and finance, which has given us great professional advice.

“It’s a fantastic site, very scenic, and a very good ambiance for a place of excellence. We hope to centralise all administration and everything to do with training there, to make a complete academy for GAA in the county, including football and hurling and handball.”

Yet Feehily admits the project would never have got off the ground without the full support of the wider GAA community, not just financially: “We also have a membership in club Sligo driving it, and people overseas as well.

“It’s also a legacy project whereby contributors to the development will have their names on the plaque on the facility wall. Croke Park and the Connacht Council are fully committed in supporting us as well, not just financially.

“We also seemingly have a good relationship with the banks, in keeping, I suppose, within the parameters are what was agreed with the banks. So far so good, our cash flow is fine.

“We’ll been settling on the contractor very shortly. We have it down to two contractors at the moment, and we had numerous tenders for it, right around the 32 counties. Some of the leading developers of similar projects, all very professional.

“One we decide the tender we hope to be in a position to move on site before the end of the month.

“But most of all there has been a lot of goodwill towards this. You can have all the money in the world available to you, but if people don’t see the benefit and have the goodwill towards the project then it’s a lot harder to get things off the ground.

“The support for the planning process was unreal as well, and that’s a mirror of the support we have got from all participants.”