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.