THE home of Fermanagh GAA is set for an almost half-a-million pound upgrade, it has been confirmed.
In his address to the County Convention at the South West College on Monday night, Fermanagh’s Safety and Facilities Committee chairman, Sean Donnelly, revealed the latest plans for Brewster Park.
Estimated to cost £420,000, all of the old wooden benches in the John Vesey Stand are set to be replaced with 4,000 new spectator seats, in what will be a welcome boost for GAA patrons.
A new toilet block will also be developed as part of the plan.
Mr Donnelly, pictured below, confirmed that a grant of £134,000 has been secured from the Croke Park National Infrastructure Fund to replace the seating in the John Vesey Stand, with the rest of the money funded locally.
The £420,000 development will be covered between Fermanagh GAA and Enniskillen Gaels, each paying 50 per-cent, with the county also hopeful of receiving financial support from the Ulster Council.
It’s the latest big development project to be launched by Fermanagh GAA, with the county also preparing to begin its multi-million pound development at Ashwoods, on the outskirts of Enniskillen.
Earlier this year, Fermanagh GAA confirmed that it had purchased a 24-acre site at Ashwoods Road in Enniskillen, which will be used as a new training complex.
It’s hoped that three floodlit pitches will be developed, along with a strength and conditioning hub, a recovery suite and meeting rooms.
County offices and catering facilities will also be developed at the new facility, as well as appropriate car parking facility, with the phase stage of the project completed by 2030.
There has also been development at the county’s main training facility at Lissan, with the two grass pitches resurfaced, after it was affected by rabbits burrowing and excessive use.
“Lissan has been maintained to a high standard. A key improvement was the move to St Michael’s pitch from May, providing an excellent training surface for the championship run,” Mr Donnelly confirmed.
“Several upgrades were completed, including an upgrade to the wind turbine in August, the installation of new stop nets on the bottom pitch and the commissioning of new LED floodlights on the top pitch in September.
“Thanks are extended to Joe Prunty for his excellent pitch maintenance and to Liam Keenan for his superb site management.”
