Deputy Burke: Sports masterplan needed for wider Glanmire area
A Fine Gael TD has called for an overall sports plan to be developed in Glanmire following the news that some of the lands at Brooklodge are to be used by a local club.
Colm Burke TD is calling on Cork County Council to ensure the remaining lands are developed as part of an overall sports masterplan for the wider Glanmire area with local clubs of different sports.
He explained: “I welcome the agreement that will see Riverstown FC develop part of the site. Riverstown FC has grown significantly in recent years and this development will provide the club with a new home and much-needed facilities for its members.”
“However, there remains a significant opportunity to develop the balance of these lands for the benefit of the wider community. Glanmire, Knockraha and surrounding areas continue to experience substantial population growth, while many sporting organisations are struggling to access suitable facilities.”
Deputy Burke said the Brooklodge site could become a multi-sport hub serving a wide range of clubs and community groups.
Deputy Burke said he has been raising the issue of the 30 acre Brooklodge site for a number of years after concerns that lands leased to the FAI for a proposed centre of excellence remained undeveloped. The original project, first announced in 2015, was ultimately abandoned following the FAI’s financial difficulties.
The Cork North Central TD said: “I have previously highlighted that these lands should not remain idle. As far as back as August 2023, I arranged for the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to meet with 18 local sports club in Glanmire to emphasise the urgent need for this land to be brought into use while local clubs are crying out for space.
“Cork County Council has successfully delivered major sporting infrastructure projects elsewhere in the county and there is every opportunity to do the same in Glanmire, supported by funding from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.”
Deputy Burke concluded: “I welcome Cork County Council’s decision to seek expressions of interest for the remaining lands, and I would encourage all sporting and community organisations to engage with that process. The objective should be clear: to create a long-term community sports campus that will serve Glanmire, its many sporting clubs and the wider area for generations to come.”