Kelly backs club in dispute over road development

GAA President Sean Kelly has backed Carlow club Tinryland GFC in their dispute with the National Roads Authority (NRA) and Kildare County Council.

Tinryland are angered by the proposed N9 road corridor from Kilcullen to Waterford which club officers say will devastate existing facilities and have negative social implications for the entire parish.

They claim the new road development will effectively sever the club’s facilities from the nearby village. Members will be forced to use a long underground pedestrian tunnel in order to access those facilities.

“It is understood that Kildare County Council have threatened to take possession of a large section of the club’s existing juvenile pitch before agreement is reached,” a statement released by the club indicated yesterday.

“The club’s officers, however, are adamant that alternative arrangements must be put in place before any facilities are invaded.”

There is also a difference of opinion over the amount of compensation due from the loss of the juvenile pitch, on which extensive drainage and development work has been done in the last two years.

Officials feel they have been treated unfairly by the NRA and are angry that verbal commitments made by senior NRA officials have not been honoured.

Despite extensive attempts by its officials, Tinryland claim that no effort has been made by the acquiring authority to work with them to minimise the impact of the scheme and to reinstate affected facilities.

Based four miles from Carlow Town, Tinryland has 250 adult and 300 juvenile members. It is one of the few clubs in Carlow that fields two teams at U14, U16 and minor grades.

The club house has also been extensively redeveloped in recent years and doubles as the parish centre, while local athletics and handball organisations also make extensive use of its facilities.

The dispute has dragged on for four years, but construction on the Kilcullen to Powerscourt section of the road, for which Kildare County Council holds responsibility, is due to begin in March. The rest of the route has already been marked by engineers but Tinryland have so far refused the authorities access to their property until a resolution can be found.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen met with club officials last August and local TD MJ Nolan has also been working behind the scenes.

Sean Kelly met with club chairman and former Leinster footballer Brendan Hayden, as well as other officials, in Carlow last Friday and called for an emergency club meeting to discuss the predicament.

The club said: “Sean Kelly was shocked at the club’s plight and assured the club of his full support in its efforts to reach a solution.”

PRO Eamon Byrne said: “The club is not against the road development. We simply want fair treatment and fair compensation which will allow the club re-instate facilities which are being affected.”