Castlegar’s new indoor facility has become a major hit
WHEN it has come to developing GAA facilities in the city and county – be it new playing pitches, floodlit surfaces, all-weather pitches or ball walls – Galway clubs have not been found wanting.
In this respect, Castlegar GAA are also leading the way with a new million-euro state-of-the-art indoor arena, which was completed under Phase 1 of the project last September. Boasting an area of 54 metres by 27 metres – and a height of eight metres – the facility has already proved hugely popular, particularly in times of inclement weather.
Along with the various hurling and camogie teams in Castlegar, from underage to senior, other rival clubs have also used the arena, as have Galway’s senior hurling and camogie teams.
“You don’t have the height of a main pitch, but you can play games on it,” says project manager Mike Herwood. “Galway camogie has played matches on it and the Galway senior hurlers have run drills on it. For smaller groups, you can also separate it into three sections – three five-a-side pitches – for training purposes.
“So, it has been a great success all winter for ourselves and for other hurling clubs around Galway who have used it. It is of a very high standard. We put money into the Astro turf, looking at it from the prevention of sports injuries viewpoint, because Astro can sometimes be hard on the joints.
“We are hoping the benefits will be two-fold in terms of the enjoyment people take out of using the arena and also for Castlegar in making money to pay off our loans and putting money back into coaching and the club.”
The seeds of the project were sown in 2013 when a representation from Castlegar visited a similar facility in Na Piarsaigh in Cork. “We sent down a juvenile team to play in Na Piarsaigh’s indoor arena and that is where it all started,” explains Herwood.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.