Kingdom forced to play catch-up on plans for new centre of excellence

Leading GAA figures in Kerry believe the county are behind the times in establishing a centre of excellence.

Plans were unveiled by the county board last October to develop training pitches at a site in Currans and a sports academy at IT Tralee, with Cáirde Chiarraí chairman Michael McCarthy welcoming the proposed centre of excellence as long overdue. McCarthy believes the county’s success in recent decades was a factor in the failure to establish proper training facilities.

Moreover, McCarthy — who heads up the fundraising group which is independent of the board — said it is no longer acceptable to force Kerry teams to count on the goodwill of neighbouring counties for the use of training facilities over the winter.

“We have no proper training facilities in Kerry and with the last number of years where the winters have been so bad, we have had to seek the goodwill of our neighbouring counties and train in Mallow and Rathkeale,” said McCarthy.

“Without any doubt we are behind in our plans to bring about a centre of excellence. People only woke up to it when we couldn’t get fields to train our minor and U21 hurling and football teams in the late autumn, winter and early spring. We will also tie in with IT Tralee because they have all the facilities we need for training development squads, minor teams, U21 teams and senior teams..”

The sports academy is set to cost €1.074m while the phased Currans development has been priced at €4.7m. To date, just under €4m has been secured, with €1m in grants from Croke Park and €1m from the Munster Council; €1m from sponsors Kerry Group, €350,000 raised by Cáirde Chiarraí and €400,000 provided by Kerry GAA.

A deficit of €2m remains, however, and Cáirde Chiarraí yesterday committed to meeting half that figure through a five-year fundraising initiative. Business people globally with Kerry ties will be targeted by Cáirde Chiarraí, offering a €750 package offering w free entry to Kerry club games, a facility to purchase two tickets to all Kerry league and championship matches and access to signed Kerry GAA merchandise.

Cáirde Chiarraí hope to attract 150 interested parties annually, thus yielding €562,500 by 2019. “The more members we get the more money we collect,” said McCarthy.