UCC's Mardyke track set to reopen after 'temporary fixes'

Several thousand athletes in Cork were left without training facilities when UCC closed the Sonia O’Sullivan Mardyke track on Monday

Thu, 14 Mar, 2024 - 17:14

Larry Ryan

Some "temporary fixes" are being put in place to allow UCC's Mardyke athletics track to reopen "as soon as possible", with the University apologising for the inconvenience caused by the track's closure.

Several thousand athletes in Cork were left without training facilities when UCC closed the Sonia O’Sullivan Mardyke track on Monday due to health and safety concerns.

The track had 15 rips to its underlying surface as well as bubbles underneath the surface, with UCC deciding to close it immediately to prevent risk to athletes.

Athletics Ireland CEO Hamish Adams attended a meeting with UCC representatives at the track on Thursday and UCC have confirmed a contractor has been attending the Mardyke to assess temporary fixes.

UCC Director of Sport, Morgan Buckley, said: "UCC are committed to remedying this matter as soon as possible, the Mardyke athletics track is an essential piece of sporting infrastructure within the University and we have a long-term commitment to the sport of athletics

"We apologise for the inconvenience we know this has caused, we took this decision reluctantly and in the best interest of the safety of athletes.

"UCC will update all parties in the coming days as to the next steps in this process."

With the athletics track at MTU also closed for resurfacing, the Mardyke issues highlighted the scarcity of athletics facilities in the Cork region.

Adams said: "The closure of the Mardyke track compounds what is already a difficult situation with the MTU track closed for re-surfacing, these works are due for completion in the coming weeks. Cork City and County represents our largest membership base outside Dublin; and we sympathise with all our members in Cork who are now training without a track.

"Strategically we know there is a lack of athletics facilities in Cork, and we are remedying this with the development of a state-of-the-art indoor facility at MTU and the re-surfacing of the MTU track.

"Additionally, we have supported the construction of the new Bandon Athletics Club track and the Carrigaline Athletics Club track is at an early stage of development. We are also endorsing the need for a track in Midleton to support the East Cork athletics community, and this exciting project is an early stage of planning.

"Unfortunately, these projects will take time to complete, and we understand the Cork athletics community’s current frustration. The sport of athletics continues to grow strongly across Ireland and these new Cork facilities coming on stream will be essential to meet the demands of our community."