*Cllr Joe Garrihy (inset) said facilities like Lee’s Road in Ennis (pictured) are needed in areas across the county.
CLARE County Council has been urged to develop a countywide plan for all-weather sports facilities amid concerns over increasing rainfall, pitch cancellations and pressure on existing facilities.
The issue was raised by Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) at the October meeting of Clare County Council, where he called for a strategic programme to deliver facilities at regional hubs across the county.
His motion called for Clare County Council to work with Clare Sports Partnership, sporting governing bodies and other relevant organisations to identify suitable locations, encourage shared use between clubs and schools, and develop a phased investment plan.
In a written response, Director of Service Siobhán McNulty said Clare already had an extensive network of all-weather and artificial playing surfaces, including facilities at Lees Road, Cloughleigh and Kilrush, as well as sites operated by clubs and community organisations around the county.
She said the facilities varied in size and specification, with some suitable for full-size competition while others were primarily used for training, recreation or indoor activities.
The council currently provides shared-use all-weather facilities at Lees Road, Cloughleigh and Kilrush, which are available to clubs, schools and community organisations through a booking system.
Ms McNulty said the council was undertaking an audit of its sports and recreational facilities to identify maintenance, upgrade and investment priorities.
She said the assessment would help ensure future capital spending was directed towards areas where need was clearly demonstrated and facilities could deliver the greatest benefit to communities.
The response also highlighted the 2026 Community Sport Facilities Fund, which offers grants of up to €550,000 under its Regional Tier 1 category for larger-scale sports infrastructure projects, including all-weather facilities.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Garrihy said the funding round, which opens for applications on Monday, October 19, presented a significant opportunity for clubs and communities to work together.
He said increasingly challenging weather conditions and higher rainfall levels were putting pressure on natural grass pitches, adding that Clare needed to plan for the future.
“We need to plan properly, we need to look at all-weather facilities across our county,” he said.
Cllr Garrihy said sports clubs and community facilities played a role beyond matches and competitions, providing places for friendships to develop, young people to build confidence and communities to come together.
He also called for facilities to be planned so they could be used throughout the day, including through partnerships between local authorities, clubs and secondary schools.
Cllr Garrihy pointed to the new community school in Ennistymon, which he said had been built without a sports pitch, as an example of the need to consider facilities alongside wider development.
Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) seconded the motion, saying the county needed to maximise the funding available.
Cllr John Crowe (FG) supported the proposal and said an all-weather facility in Sixmilebridge had made a significant difference to local young people.
He said the facility allowed them to play football and take part in other activities on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, regardless of the weather.
Cllr Crowe encouraged efforts to expand such provision to other communities.
Cllr Michael Begley (IND) also supported the motion and asked about insurance arrangements where clubs and primary schools might work together to provide facilities on school-owned land.
Concluding the discussion, Cllr Garrihy urged Clare Sports Partnership to engage with clubs and communities while the funding opportunity was open.
He referred to the need for additional facilities in areas including Spanish Point and Ennistymon and said clubs should consider submitting joint applications where possible.
He also suggested that improved sports infrastructure could create opportunities for sports tourism, with teams from the UK and elsewhere potentially using Clare for pre-season training or breaks during the season.
Cllr Garrihy said better coordination could help ensure that clubs were not independently pursuing the same opportunities when a shared approach could benefit more communities.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
