Green light for major Kerry sports project – ‘This is the first of its kind in Ireland’

The training centre at Derreen – understood to be one of the first of its kind in Ireland – is part of a major new €3m sports-centre development in Killarney that has this week received the green light

"This is hugely positive, there are no negatives,” Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan said this week, adding: “This is going to be amazing for these people”.

He made the comments at this week’s Municipal District meeting, where all seven Killarney district councillors voted to give planning to the project.

“This is the first special-needs facility in the country and the first judo dojo of its kind,” explained Cllr O’Callaghan.

Three Kerry sports clubs – Kerry Stars Special Olympic Club, Killarney Judo Club and St Paul’s Basketball Club – have joined forces to lead the development of the Derreen Sports Centre.

The facility will be located on council-owned land between the Legion GAA and Killarney Celtic clubs and will be a single-storey community hall complete with two basketball courts and a multi-functional room. It will also include a gym, meeting room, judo dojo room, changing rooms, toilets and coffee room.

The development will also have a playground and 36 car-parking spaces, 12 disabled parking spaces and three bus spaces, along with a pedestrian crossing and other works, including footpath widening.

In total, 92 submissions were received – 88 from the public, the majority in support.

A submission from Kerry Stars sought changes which have been put in place, including changing the main flat roofs to pitched roofs.

Almost €1m of Government funding has been provided from the Community Recognition Fund, and other funding streams will be sought along with a loan.

Queries over traffic, parking and access were raised by councillors at Monday’s meeting. The facility users will be encouraged to use Active Travel measures to access the development, and this will be facilitated not only by ancillary works but also via other road-infrastructural projects.

Cllr Martin Grady said he felt that parking was not sufficient and would lead to double parking on the road, especially if national league games are held by St Paul’s Basketball Club.

However, Cllr O’Callaghan said such games would not take place there as there is no spectator seating and that the facility is for underage players. Indeed the Killarney club has one of the highest numbers of under-age players in the country.

Access to the facility will be via the local road that connects to the Kilcummin road via the railway under-bridge; and to Ballydribbeen on the western side.

Council Engineer David Doyle said that access and traffic would not be as high as some may think given that primary users of this development will be residents in the nearby estates.

There are 320 houses in the greater area, and this facility is primarily for them, a fact that Cathaoirleach of Killarney MD Brendan Cronin warmly welcomed, saying council estates have sometimes been left without such vital amenities.

Several councillors, including Cllr Marie Moloney (Labour), raised concerns about construction traffic during the development which will be completed in phases.

Council officials said that it is likely that access will be through the housing estates and safety measures will be put in place.

Construction is expected to last around 30 weeks, but there is no start date earmarked yet.

The centre will be run by Derreen Sports Centre CLG, made up of representatives of the three main groups. They will lease the land on which it is built from the landowners, Kerry County Council.

The remainder of the site will also to be developed by the Council at a later date.