Local football club launches campaign for all-weather pitch 

Dundrum’s Rosemount Mulvey Football Club (RMFC) is calling on election candidates to back their proposal for an all-weather floodlit astro-turf pitch in the redevelopment plans for the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) site.   

The club, which plays a vital role in promoting sport in the community, believes the project would meet the growing demand for better facilities and align with strategic local development goals.  

Currently operating from a converted container (pictured above) adjacent to the CMH site, RMFC is struggling to accommodate its expanding membership.   

Poor weather often forces game cancellations, and winter training requires using facilities far away from the club’s base.  

“This is a very modest ask and it isn’t just about our club,” an RMFC spokesperson told Southside People.   

“The Council has acknowledged there is a shortage of pitches in this area, what we are asking for is about providing the infrastructure this community needs to support sports and recreation for all ages.”   

The spokesperson emphasized that without these upgrades, RMFC’s ability to grow and foster community engagement and to provide football for new residents living at the CMH development will be severely hindered.  

The club has submitted an observation on the planning application lodged by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) in partnership with the Land Development Agency (LDA).

They argue the plans currently fail to meet Strategic Local Objective 113, which calls for enhanced sports facilities in the integration of the CMH lands with nearby residential areas.  

RMFC has received significant support from local politicians, including Minister Neale Richmond, who stated in an email to club members: “With the continued success of Rosemount Mulvey in expanding their membership at all levels, I think it is the perfect time to start planning for expansion.

“An all-weather pitch would be the next logical step in my view, and I will be doing whatever I can to see the project progress.”  

The club has requested a meeting with the LDA and DLRCC to discuss the proposal further, hoping this “golden opportunity” will be seized to address the sporting needs of the growing Dundrum community.   

Local residents are urged to back the initiative by signing RMFC’s petition at uplift.ie. https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/dundrum-central-planning-application-observation  

For more information, visit RMFC’s website.