Planning submitted for upgraded Tipperary GAA Centre of Excellence
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary GAA has submitted a planning application to Tipperary County Council for the multi-million euro extension of facilities at the training grounds at Coolmore Morris Park in Thurles.
The project, which was announced late last year following the gift of almost seventeen acres of land by Mr. John Magnier of Coolmore Stud, adjacent to Coolmore Morris Park, to enable the expansion of the facility and create a new, state-of-the-art Tipperary GAA Centre of Excellence.
The planning application seeks the extension of the existing training facility comprising of:
(a) The construction of 3 grassed playing pitches, supporting ball-stop netting, sprinkler irrigation system, associated well and water storage tanks, and floodlighting with associated diesel generator / diesel storage tank
(b) Demolition of existing hurling wall and the construction of 2 new hurling walls, all-weather track and training areas
(c) The upgrading of 2 existing site entrances from Childers Park Road, including demolition of boundary wall and northern entrance kiosk, entrance widening, and provision of new grated vehicular and pedestrian accesses, including facility signage
(d) Extension and reconfiguration of internal facility layout and vehicular/pedestrian circulation routes to include campus walkway, new bus, car, motorcycle and bicycle parking facilities
(e) All ancillary site development including landscaping, biodiversity enhancement areas, boundary treatments, lighting, surface water drainage infrastructure, and associated works.
If granted the go ahead with a decision due on 17th November, the development is targeted to be done over next four years at a projected cost of €12 million, in two phases, starting with the development of three sand-based pitches to bring the number at Coolmore Morris Park to six.
The second phase would see the development of a Centre of Excellence which includes 2-floored building with four dressing rooms that can cater for 40 players each; a state of the art gymnasium that can cater for 40-plus players; a referee’s room, 3 physiotherapy rooms and a manager’s room, a state of the art dining facility, two briefing rooms and office space for the potential move of staff from Lar na bPairce to Coolmore Morris Park.
This expansion will serve not only the elite teams but the thousands of young boys and girls who represent the future of Tipperary GAA as well as camogie and ladies football with integration still on track to happen, possibly not by the initial 2027 deadline.
The wider Tipperary community will also benefit, with this facility acting as a hub for participation across its 71 clubs, 23 secondary schools, 137 primary schools, 347 members on hurling and football academies, as well as its six inter-county teams at minor, under 20 and senior, hurling and football.