Local sports facilities should be priority, says Kenny

THE Government's plan to build a multi-million euro national stadium while many sports facilities nationwide are in a rundown state has been lashed by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny.

Attending the first leg of the ESB Community Games finals at Mosney, Co Meath , Mr Kenny said: "Ireland should now make its sporting priority the provision of world class local sports facilities that everyone can share in, not just facilities where they can comfortably watch the efforts of well-paid superstar athletes.

"I believe the current Government's plan to invest huge resources in a single stadium which will only ever be used by a small number of elite sports people is fundamentally wrong."

Criticising the failure to provide adequate sports facilities across the country, Mr Kenny said: "The unfortunate story is one of crumbling dressing rooms, poorly maintained football fields and a total lack of the basic sporting infrastructure."

Congratulating all 3,000 children who took part in the finals, the FG leader said: "For those who leave victorious, the memory of taking part will always be with you. For those who do not finish first, remember that even Sonia finished down the field when she came here."

Last December, the privately-owned former holiday camp was opened as a holding centre catering for sylum seekers. It has a capacity for 685 people.

Sports Minister John O'Donoghue, who raised the starter's flag for the annual games' national finals on Friday, described the games as "one of the most important organisations catering for the country's young people".

Established in 1967, 500,000 young people across Ireland take part in community games activities each year.

Next weekend, Mosney will host the second series of national finals when the outdoor track and field events will be decided.

Over the years the games at Mosney proved the launching pad for some of the country's best known sports people.

Football legend Niall Quinn who hung up his international boots after Ireland's World Cup campaign this summer is one of countless people who showed early sporting promise at the Co Meath venue.

Athletics superstars Sonia O'Sullivan and Eamon Coughlan along with Olympic champion boxer Michael Carruth all got their first taste of competition at this event.

A promising hurler, Quinn, who is now Sunderland's player-coach, took the U-12 All-Ireland long puck title in September 1975.