Show of strength!

HUNDREDS of Na Fianna members turned out for a special meeting last week to hear exactly how MetroLink will impact the famous GAA club.

The level of concern was so great that club officials were forced to move the meeting from Na Fianna clubhouse to a 500-seat venue on DCU’s St Patrick’s Campus.

During the meeting members were given an update on information received from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on the MetroLink Emerging Preferred Route (EPR).

If the EPR goes ahead, the construction programme will mean the loss of Na Fianna’s main pitch on Mobhi Road as well as Home Farm’s soccer pitch.

The pitches would become a tunnel-boring depot for the duration of construction, due to begin in 2020, with a permanent underground station being situated under Mobhi Road upon completion.

Na Fianna Chairman, Cormac Ó Donnchú, said members were not surprisingly very concerned about the plans.

 “From the calls and emails we were getting, we were picking up a huge sense of anxiety among club members about the proposal,” he said.

“And while we weren’t in full possession of all the facts, we felt that it was absolutely essential to brief the membership with as much information as possible to try as best as possible to reduce the uncertainty and anxiety of members.

“We had a great meeting with huge numbers attending and members are now not only up to date, but they are also energised.”

The next important calendar date for Na Fianna members is Monday (April 9) when a TII public consultation meeting takes place in The Helix. 

“Monday’s public consultation on the MetroLink proposal will be crucial to the future of our community,” continued Ó Donnchú, “It's vital all Na Fianna members, parents, supporters, players of all ages across all of our codes attend. Monday’s event will have a significant impact on the proposals and may determine the make up of our community for generations to come.”

Ó Donnchú stressed the importance of members making themselves fully aware of the implications of the proposals, and making their views of the importance of community and cultural engagement known.

“If the proposals proceed as planned, the uniquely successful sense of our Gaelic Community will be imperilled,” he said.

“We owe it to our community to fully understand the impact of the proposals not just on our economy but on our community and on the future generations to come.”

Na Fianna is one of the country’s largest GAA Clubs with more than 3,000 members and over 125 teams.