'Absolutely criminal' Cork's largest school campus still has no grass playing pitches

Councillors say nearly 1,500 pupils are denied outdoor sports facilities despite pitches being a condition of planning permission

The Cobh Municipal District Council, which is in charge of the Carrigtwohill area, wrote to the Department of Education about this, but received no reply. Picture: Carrigtwohill Community NS

Cork County Council is demanding that the Department of Education open promised playing pitches at the county’s largest school campus.

It has been described as “absolutely criminal” that about 1,500 students at Carrigtwohill Community NS (formally Scoil Chlíodhna), Carrigtwohill Community College and Scoil Mhuire Naofa NS still have no access to grass pitches, which were supposed to be created as part of the campus’ planning permission when it opened nearly two years ago.

The Cobh Municipal District Council, which is in charge of the Carrigtwohill area, wrote to the Department of Education about this, but received no reply.

In frustration, its members sought backing from the full council to put pressure on the department and won unanimous cross-party support.

Carrigtwohill-based Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry said the council previously got permission for the two primary school and one secondary school campus on the basis grassed playing pitches would be developed.

The department then said the pitches were in flood plains and this could not be done, but later accepted the need to develop them.

Yet nearly a year on from that acceptance, nothing has happened.

The campus has been open for two years and once the schools reach capacity, they will have 2,000 pupils. 

This is likely to occur quickly as the population in the area is growing rapidly.

Mr Barry said even as a child he could never remember the 3.5 acres earmarked for the pitches flooding.

“Even if we had another Storm Babet and they did flood, it would be for just a couple of days. To look at that field with a chain on the entrance to it is absolutely criminal. Clearly, the department is dragging its heels on this. I hope that the new minister for education Hildegarde Naughton will push this on,” Mr Barry said.

“In the current environment, when we are encouraging our young people to be more active and engage in outdoor activities, it is maddening to see this field lying idle,” he added.

Fine Gael councillor Sinéad Sheppard said it was “totally unacceptable” that such a huge school campus did not have grass sports fields.

She added there was “some subsidence” at the schools’ basketball courts.

Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Mulcahy, who is a member of the secondary school's board of management, described the situation as “highly frustrating".

He added a number of Dáil questions had been put to the department on what progress was being made developing the pitches and the replies were “vague".

Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan, who is chair of Cork ETB, said she was “shocked to hear” of the delay and described it as “not good enough”. 

She added that in her capacity, her office would do anything it could to put pressure on the department to develop the pitches.

Mayor of County Cork, Independent councillor Mary Linehan-Foley said it was unacceptable the department had not replied to the Cobh Municipal Council.