Community loan for Ballaghaderreen Community Park

It would be impossible to overestimate the contribution made by sport to community life, across the country. This is particularly true in rural Ireland, where the focal point provided by sporting occasions and organisations literally knits smaller and more isolated communities into the local fabric.

Over the last two decades a range of sporting bodies in the Ballaghadareen, County Roscommon, have worked cooperatively to improve the range and level of sporting facilities available to the local community.

Under the aegis of the Ballaghadareen Community Park their initiative has seen the development of a major sporting hub located on a 6.9 acre site, which includes: a running track, football pitch, astro turf facility and cricket field.

Their most recent venture saw the group undertake the development of a clubhouse on the site, to complement the existing sporting facilities and services.

In addition. it was envisaged that the new structure would play a role beyond the purely sporting and fill the gap left by the absence of a community centre in Ballaghhadareen.

Thus, the new clubhouse would also offer meeting rooms for local groups and act as a base for delivery of critical services, such as childcare.

It was clear the project added enormously to the sporting and community life of the wider area and Clann Credo was happy to offer the required support.