Council refuses to sell land to clubs cheaply

AS LAND prices in Killarney continue to rocket, Town Council manager Tom Curran has indicated that land bought at development prices will not be sold cheaply to local sports clubs, or given away free gratis.

Killarney Legion GAA club and Killarney Celtic soccer club have both approached the council for land to extend their facilities at Ballydribeen, on the northern edge of the town.

But, Mr Curran said the council had paid development price for the land so as to increase its landbank, which may be used to provide housing.

Prime development land in Killarney, offering the possibility of building 12 to 14 houses to the acre, can now fetch e1.5m per acre on the open market.

The land being sought by the clubs is wedged between their playing facilities.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Brian O’Leary yesterday called for the clubs to be facilitated.

“I don’t agree that the six acres owned by the council in Ballydribeen was purchased at development rates. The council paid around €2m for this land, two years ago,” said Mr O’Leary, an auctioneer.

“The Legion and Killarney Celtic are not looking for this land for nothing. They’re prepared to pay for it and the council should at least thrash-out the matter with them.” The land is currently zoned recreational/green and Mr O’Leary felt it should retain that zoning, pointing out that many houses had already been built in the area and more were planned.

Former All-Ireland winning Kerry footballer, Cllr Micheal Gleeson, called on the council to start discussions with the Legion club.

High land prices mean that sports clubs in Killarney are finding it extremely difficult to purchase land close to the town.

It’s likewise with the town council, which has been outbid on at least three occasions by private developers buying land for building.

Mr Curran warned against transferring land to clubs at a substantial loss, stressing that the council was paying back a substantial amount of money for the land in question.

Killarney Celtic chairman Noel Brosnan said they now had 450 members under the age of 18.

“The council also has plans to build up to 60 houses next door to our facilities and our pitches will inevitably become playing areas for young people in those houses,” he said.

Legion chairman Sean O’Sullivan said their grounds were at least four yards too narrow and they needed more land to widen their pitch.

“Our club is getting bigger. We could have nearly 100 youngsters on a Saturday. If we get a bit more land, it would make a difference to our club,” he said.