WORK on the construction of new state of the art £1m sports facilities at St Michael’s College commenced last week.

The development will include a state of the art 4G floodlit all weather football pitch and a 400 metre athletics track. The facilities also include a pavilion complete with fully equipped changing rooms, showers, toilets and office accommodation as well as shelter for spectators from inclement weather.

The project is expected to take a year to complete, and will be complete by February 2019. 

The development is taking place on the site of one of the grass pitches located beside the new Cherrymount Link road. There will also be ample car parking for visitors beside the new pavilion. 

These new facilities will be a great improvement on the existing pitches which have been well used since their installation almost 25 years ago. 

The College is improving provision for its own students while at the same time reaching out to community groups. The new facilities will allow community clubs and teams to train and play on top of the range facilities.  

Athletics, Gaelic, football, rugby and any other sport will be catered for at the College.  Speaking to the Herald, Michael Duffy, Bursar at St Michael’s College explained, 

“It is a very exciting time for the School. This project has been in planning for about five years and we are delighted to finally get it started. It will provide excellent facilities primarily for the students and the school, but also we hope that it will be used by the wider community – clubs and groups. It will be very useful in the county. It is being funded under a scheme called the School Enhancement Programme by the Department of Education, so it will very much enhance this school and also the facilities that are available for the wider community.”