THE fifteen time Clare Senior Hurling Champions made the application to Clare County Council late last month as part of ongoing efforts to improve facilities and member experience in the community.
Located next to the recently opened €1.2 million Sixmilebridge GAA Arena, the Cappa Lodge pitch acts as a secondary facility for the hurling club whose main pitch of O’Garney Park is situated in the centre of the village, where the majority of senior fixtures are held.
An earlier application for the development was previously withdrawn due to it being submitted under the wrong name. Conditional planning permission was previously granted for a concrete seated spectator stand at the site.
A letter by Club Chairman Syl O’Conor is included as part of the application that outlines the hurling club’s commitment to community development within the village.
The letter states that “Sixmilebridge GAA Club, which is part of the GAA, is a community based volunteer organization promoting Gaelic games and participation. The club operates as a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to promote the game of hurling through active participation of the local community”.
The letter also points out that The Bridge were granted Voluntary Organisation Tax Clearance Status in October 2025, in accordance with the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.
Other Clare sports clubs who have benefited from this status in the last year include the Ennis branch of the Irish Taekwondo Association, St. Senan’s GAA of Kilkee and Inagh-Kilnamona GAA, who have also recently submitted an application for works at their secondary pitch.
The 8 floodlights are proposed to be situated at the current 145m by 73.7m hurling pitch. The aluminium floodlights have an input voltage of between 220 and 400V and are powered by LED light source engines, intended to improve playing conditions during dark winter evenings.
Clare County Council has earmarked the 16th of July as its due date for a decision on the matter. Members of the public are free to make submissions to the local authority until the 25th of June.
