Joint plans to develop €3m family hub and soccer facilities for Carndonagh by 2025 have been announced by the Trustees of St Patrick’s Park.
Carndonagh FC will move to new state of the art facilities at Carrickafoden, say the Trustees. “This will eliminate traffic congestion issues and give the club more space and facilities,” said a spokesperson.
The announcement was made in a joint statement with social enterprise Spraoi, who will take over St Patrick’s Park. Spraoi CEO, Helen Nolan, says they will build Donegal’s first ever purpose-built Child and Family Hub on the site.
Helen says the Trustees of St Patrick’s Park have “unlocked the potential Carn now has to offer the very best of family and sports facilities for the town. Carndonagh will be a blueprint for excellence for rural communities with the addition of these facilities. Our people deserve the best and that’s what we are all working together to achieve.”
Spraoi chairperson Patricia Lee says the child and family hub will hub will support the physical and emotional well-being of children. “We will offer fun, affordable and inclusive workshops, activities and support services which focus on creativity and play.”
“St Patrick’s Park Trustees, Carndonagh Football Club and Spraoi are all working together to deliver these ambitious plans . This collaborative alliance is planning for the development of sports facilities and services that will benefit families living and working in Inishowen. This is about developing much needed community assets that can be used for generations to come.”
Carn Football Club say they are excited about the move to Carrickafoden. “Soccer has been in St Patrick’s park since 1976, so it will be sad to leave,” says the club’s first team manager, Gerard Crossan. “But the club has developed over the years, now offers training to over 300 children, and have outgrown the park.”
“It’s fantastic to see Carndonagh FC and Spraoi getting together to provide what will be two amazing facilities for the town to be really proud of. For the Club, it will give us the much needed space we have been craving for years now.. And for Spraoi it will deliver a great family facility for the town.
Mr Crossan says that from a community point of view, this is “unbelievable news. “It’s exciting times for the town and community of Carndonagh going into the future.”
The three groups say they will announce further details about the project shortly. Helen Nolan of Spraoi says they will be “reaching out to our communities here at home and across the world to help us reach our target of €3m. We have already secured €30,000 from the RTE Toy Show Appeal but we still have a long way to go! So, we will be outlining details of our fundraising plans over the coming weeks.”
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Media Enquiries to: Trish Hegarty, Inis Communications