The Mayor of the City & County of Limerick, Cllr Michael Collins, officially opened the Community Walking Track at Crecora Manister GAA pitch on Saturday 19th June last in front of a group representing both Crecora Manister GAA Club and Crecora Camogie Club, along with representatives from the wider community. Also in attendance were Deputy Niall Collins, Minister of State for Skills and Further Education; Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State with responsibility for Office of Public Works, along with Cllr Stephen Keary and Cllr Bridie Collins from the Adare Rathkeale Municipal District.

The Mayor said he was delighted to be back in Crecora for the official opening of the Community Walking Track which is the first project being delivered as part of both Clubs Facility Development Plan. He referred to the previous October when he launched the Plan just before the Government’s decision to move the country to Level 5 lock-down. At the launch of that plan, the Mayor commended both clubs for their proactive approach in working together to produce a strategy that would not only benefit both the GAA and Camogie Club in terms of improved sports facilities, but also the wider community.

The estimated cost of all the proposed works in the Facility Development Plan is over €200,000 and the Mayor said he was delighted to be back to formally open the first project delivered from the Facility Development Plan, namely this floodlit 750 metre Community Walking Track, which cost approximately €65,000 to install.

The Track will be available for use by all in the wider community in the Crecora and Manister areas, and will be a great resource for all to exercise outdoors, all year round, with the associated health benefits, which is especially important in these current Covid times.

The Mayor congratulated the Committees and Members of Crecora Manister GAA and Crecora Camogie Clubs, and everyone who was involved or supported the delivery of the Walking Track and wished the Clubs well in the delivery of the remaining projects outlined in their Development Plan over the next 12 to eighteen months or so.

The Mayor said that when he launched the Facility Development Plan in October last, that no one was to know the dark days and tough times that lay in front of us during the worst of the Covid crisis over the following months. As we now emerge from those difficult days post Covid, this Walking Track shows us what can be achieved when people come together and work hard for a common goal on behalf of all in the community, with a sight of better times for all to come in the months and years ahead.

Pat Byrnes, GAA Chairperson and Ronan McMahon, Camogie Chairperson welcomed the Mayor, Ministers, Councillors, Club Members, relatives of founding members, and members of the community to the Official Opening and thanked the Mayor for agreeing to officially open the new facility, along with all others for attending.

The Chairpersons acknowledged the grant support from West Limerick Resources Leader Group; the funding support from the Elected Members of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District; the JP McManus Foundation; along with the individual contributions from club members and the wider community which enabled the Walking Track to be completed and which is a facility the clubs are proud of and happy to make available to use by all in the local community.

With the Walking Track now completed and available for use by all in the Community, they confirmed that the focus now turns towards the proposed development of a 55m floodlit All Weather Sports Facility located at the hurling wall, which is currently going through the national Sports Capital Application process at present, along with other improvements to facilities at the GAA pitch.

See here a few photograhs from the Official Opening: [print_gllr id=5382]