€2m funding for Glanmire development described as a 'massive shot in the arm' for Cork football

The long-awaited Cork City Centre of Excellence in Glanmire finally looks set to break ground after the government this morning announced funding of €2.025m for the stalled project.

The development, which was launched in 2016, is a partnership agreement between the FAI, FORAS — the trust that operates Cork City — and Cork County Council.

The 20-acre complex in Glanmire, 8km outside Cork City, is set to provide a training base for Cork City FC, as well as playing and training facilities for underage teams across Munster, serving as a southern equivalent to the FAI centre at Abbotstown.

The scheme had since stalled and the FAI’s implosion led to fears that it would be shelved completely.

Former FORAS and Cork City FC chairman Pat Lyons — who is the liaison for the project — described the news as ‘a massive shot in the arm’ for football in Cork, Munster and Ireland.

He said: “I am delighted. This is something that I have been working on for years.

“I had a phone call from Tanaiste Simon Coveney this morning to tell me that this project is to receive funding.

“It will be part of the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund and is worth €2.05 million."

However, the Department of Sport noted that "in accordance with previous correspondence with the Association, these applications were assessed in the normal way. One of the projects (Munster Centre of Excellence, Glanmire) achieved a sufficiently high score at assessment stage to merit a provisional grant allocation. If the project advances, it remains the position that no payments will be made until the Department is satisfied that all issues of concern around financial management and corporate governance at the Association have been resolved. The appointment of the Independent Chairman and Directors to the Board on 8 January 2020 is a significant step forward in this regard."

“What does it mean? It means the setting up of the Centre of Excellence which would be base for Cork City and would be a huge assistance for all clubs throughout Cork and Munster," continued Lyons.

“This is a massive shot in the arm after a tough time for the game. The County Council gave the land on a sporting lease, the FAI rowed in behind it and the plan then would be for Cork City to be the anchor tenants. That has all moved a step closer with this announcement.

“This is a huge signal from the government that they are supporting football in Cork, Munster and Ireland. It is a great step forward and shows the confidence in the most played and most attended sport in this country.

“This project is shovel ready — we have the land, the lease is signed, we have planning permission. Everything is ready to go.

“We just need to appoint a contractor and get the ball rolling.”

Plans included a purpose-built pavilion with viewing area, which will include a classroom, gymnasium, dressing rooms, physiotherapy, and medical and team rooms, as well as a community area, and other purpose-built facilities. There will also be three full-size natural turf pitches (two with floodlighting), one full-size artificial turf pitch with floodlighting, three small-sided floodlit artificial turf pitches, and a goalkeeper training area.

In 2016, then FAI chief executive John Delaney expressed his confidence that the funding needed to get the project completed — which he estimated at €8m-9m — would be raised.

“Between naming rights partners, Uefa, Department of Sport, ourselves, and local business, over a phased basis we should be well able to come through.”

The government statement today confirms the total cost of phase one of the project will be €3,858,473.

Today sports project grants, total €77.4 million with 25 individual projects benefiting.

The government statement adds:

"The successful applicants were decided following a rigorous assessment process with the highest scoring applications receiving grant offers. All applications under the fund had to be supported by a National Governing Body for Sport (NGB) or a Local Authority.

"The priority given to projects by the relevant NGB(s) or local authority was one of the key determinants of the assessment score along with factors such as the likelihood of increasing sport participation, how the proposed project would improve high performance and whether the proposed development would benefit spectators."

Commenting on the announcement Sport Minister Shane Ross said: “The establishment of the LSSIF confirmed the commitment expressed in the National Development Plan and the National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027 to increase investment in sporting facilities across the State. Before the establishment of the LSSIF, Government funding for large sports projects was decided on an ad-hoc basis. The fund provides a robust and transparent mechanism for the allocation of funding to develop the best high quality sports facilities across all regions.”