Ladies Football Centre of Excellence mooted for Galway Airport

COUNCILLORS in the Tuam MD are pushing for a new Galway LGFA Centre of Excellence at Galway Airport.

The site has been in the joint ownership of Galway City and County Council since November 2013, two years after commercial operations at the airport ceased.

Last April they began seeking expressions of interest from groups looking to develop the 118-acre site. Six prospective bidders have come forward.

However, councillors in Tuam are putting forward a motion at the next meeting of Galway County Council. Proposed by Shaun Cunniffe and Andrew Reddington, it will be recommending that between 20 and 25 acres of the site be allocated to Galway LGFA.

“My daughter is on one of the county panels, up to this morning they had nowhere to train,” commented Councillor Andrew Reddington during a recent meeting of the Tuam Municipal District.

“A pitch was eventually sorted in An Spidéal, and it looks like we might have a place sorted in Kilconly for Wednesday.

“We all stood for pictures with the Kilkerrin-Clonberne Ladies after they secured an historic five in a row, yet when a big decision like this is needed to help young girls in the sport, we don’t do anything. The council need to do more to support Ladies Football in Galway.”

Tuam Director of Services Michael Owens stated council staff were still going through each expression of interest made for the site. A report on the bidders, alongside a recommendation on how to proceed, will be circulated to councillors in the coming months.

Both county and city councillors will have the final say whether to sell, lease or retain the site. He added that the Tuam MD cannot make any decision on this issue but could recommend it be used for a Ladies Football Centre of Excellence.

“As part of the County Development Plan, the policy objectives for the site are solely economic. This would need to be changed and factor in sport or recreational use for a centre of excellence to proceed. But that amendment can be made at a plenary meeting,” he explained.