Ashwoods development site will need over £1million for first phase

Fermanagh GAA will be looking for between £1 million and £1.2 million to fund the first phase of a major development at Ashwoods Road, the annual County Convention was told.

Erne Development Officer, Sean Donnelly, in his Safety and Facilities Committee Report, referenced the important acquisition of 25 acres of land at the Ashwoods Road on the edge of Enniskillen for future development.

“We will have three pitches and then we will have a total of six grass pitches for the county, two in Lissan, one in St Michael’s and three in the new facility.”

He added that the Ashwoods acquisition was a five to 10-year project.

“I would like to think that in the first five years, we would have two pitches and changing rooms and a gym and associated parking."

That will probably cost about €2m and they were in talks with Club Eirne, the Ulster Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to source funding.

One of the few officers to speak on sub-committee reports, Donnelly said they had increased the size of the gym to 2,500 square feet at Lissan to accommodate a full inter-county squad.

And they had got a grant from the Ulster Council for a new set of LED lights for the top pitch in Lissan.

He added that the wind turbine was upgraded this year and they were negotiating a new pricing structure with Corick Power.

“We intend to do some tarring and creating more car parking.”

“We entered into a partnership with St. Michael’s to get access to their pitch which is being relaid by Prunty Pitches and should be ready in the spring.

“The location is important, and we intend to bring lights from Lissan down to that pitch so that will be another floodlit surface which will not be match standard but will be another facility for all county squad with the 4G pitch as well.”

Regarding Brewster Park, in conjunction with Enniskillen Gaels, they were hoping to upgrade the toilets.

He added that he had been working with a number of clubs this year and there had been a number of exciting developments and he congratulated those clubs who were in major development schemes, and he was available to help.