New sports centre to cater for south city’s residents

A NEW state-of-the-art sports and community centre has been unveiled in the south inner-city to provide recreational facilities for local residents and businesses.

The new centre at Charlemont Square was officially opened by the Charlemont Street Regeneration Board and Brian Hanney, South East Area Manager with Dublin City Council.

The Tom Kelly 2 (TK2) centre is designed to deliver unrivalled facilities and recreation space in the heart of Charlemont Street for the enjoyment of the local community and businesses.

Facilities at the centre include a sports hall with changing rooms, which already caters for indoor football, boxing, fitness, gymnastics and yoga, and a number of other spaces all of which are available for use by the local community and businesses alike.

The TK2 centre is named after the Tom Kelly flats that once sat in its place and is now a focal point for local residents and employees at the new Charlemont Square development.

The centre is already in use by local community groups and nearby businesses. Local businesses are also being encouraged to get involved and make use of the facilities.

Jackie Brady, Chair of the Charlemont Community Resource Centre, welcomed the launch.

“We are delighted to officially open the new centre which is at the heart of this Charlemont community and a key part of the new Charlemont Square project.

“We have worked hard to ensure we honoured the heritage and history of this unique site while creating a modern looking centre which fits in with our overall community at Charlemont.”

Brian Hanney, South East Area Manager with Dublin City Council, added: “The regeneration of the former Tom Kelly flats at this site reflects the transformation taking place across inner-city Dublin as we work to address the needs of local communities, businesses and the demands placed on a thriving capital city.

“Dublin City Council remains committed to supporting this and we look forward to working with TK2 as a social enterprise to benefit the local community.”

Raymond Reilly, CEO, McGarrell Reilly Group said: “We are delighted to see the opening of the TK2 community centre which is a cornerstone of the entire area.”