Kilmore Celtic continue fight for facilities

Kilmore Celtic chairman Dean Russell has called for urgent action to secure suitable facilities for his club.

Speaking to Northside People, Russell said that there is a very real risk of over 500 club members, of all ages, having no place to play unless the issue is tackled.

“We have been given promises from local councillors and TDs, but the door has been closed in our face,” he said.

Russell says he emails local representatives “every 2nd day” in an attempt to sort the issue, to no avail.

The club, which was founded in 1990, now runs the risk of losing members and the very real risk of local residents losing an outlet for exercise and mental health relief.

Russell said “if we lose kids, there is every chance they end up involved in crime – the club needs the facilities to survive, and it provides a crucial outlet for members of the community.”

“We have heard excuse after excuse at this stage.”

Highlighting the lack of adequate facilities at the club, Russell said there are just two toilets available to members.

The lack of suitable facilities is a major problem in the winter months, as items such as floodlights, and adequate plumbing and heating for changing rooms become necessary.

“There hasn’t been any training so far this winter because we simply do not have the facilities – it is incredibly frustrating.”

“Over five years ago, we approached Dublin City Council to raise our issues. We gave them some quick-fix ideas, but nothing has been done,” he said.

Russell said that as part of planning permission granted to the building of houses on Oscar Traynor Road, the club were promised funds that would be channelled into investment for the club.

“The council asked St John and Kilmore Celtic to come up with proposals of what was the best area the all-weather facility could be built,” he recalled, and said at the time, the clubs designated three preferences.

“Each one of these options was refused due to different reasons, including geese studies having to be done as geese need open space to land, and bats need homes, amongg other things. So as a result of these studies our children and young people in the area can’t get proper training and match facilities, and five years on, we are exactly in the same position from when we first spoke to the Council.”

Russell said “what we are looking for as a matter of urgency and without any further delay is a guaranteed site to build a full-size astro and a guarantee of when they will start to build it. We think this is basic help from the Council.”

Local resident Danielle Colgan said that local children are the ones who are most likely to lose out from the lack of adequate facilities.

A lifelong resident of the area, Colgan says that there were no facilities afforded to her growing up, and has expressed fear her 10-year-old son and his teammates will continue the cycle.

Despite the surrounding local green areas, Kilmore West is the only area that lacks facilities for youth football.

The Oscar Traynor Road fields, a vast local pitch, remains underutilised according to Colgan.

Russell said that the team staged a protest on Oscar Traynor road in a bid to bring attention to their cause.

Colgan also points to the Astro Park in Coolock, located on the Oscar Traynor Road, as a potentially suitable facility with the capacity to accommodate children’s training during winter.

However, Colgan asserted that the management “prioritises” renting out these facilities to other clubs with more resources at their disposal as opposed to teams such as Kilmore Celtic.

“We are classed as a “disadvantaged” area yet there is no incentive to keep our children off the streets and give them a place to go,” she said.

“The sad reality of this issue is that many kids are going to get fed up with their matches and training and matches being called off. There is no routine being upheld to keep the children on the straight and narrow, and this leads to them falling out of love with football.”

This, she said, could lead to a spiral that manifests as engaging in anti-social behaviour, drugs and crime.

“It is a disgrace that the so-called TDs of the area don’t fight for this, they don’t make an effort to communicate with the club, but yet when they need their votes they are quick enough to knock at the locals peoples door and pretend to care to benefit themselves and their campaign,” she remarked.

She also expressed frustration for the coaches who give up their free time to mentor the children, saying “no coach earns a payment to be with these children and deal with the constant limitations that come their way.”

“As the weeks go by and we go into the winter months we are finding it difficult to have anywhere for the kids to play.”

The local school with a small greenery area has no light for them to play there, and when they get the opportunity to play on weekends in the light, the weather is often so poor matches are called off.

Conlan expressed frustration at the situation, saying “when I go online and see the children of surrounding areas still getting up on a Saturday morning to get out and play their games whatever the weather it beyond disappointing that our children are sitting at home.”