THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION of Ireland has today reached an agreement with Cork County Council to develop a centre of excellence in Glanmire.
The deal involves a 99-year lease on a 30 acre site, which the association plans to use for the centre of excellence to serve the Munster region.
The facility aims to support the development of young players operating within the FAI’s Emerging Talent Programme, while Cork City FC will also use the location for training and underage matches.
Commenting on the news today, FAI CEO John Delaney said:
“This agreement is a very positive development for football in Munster. I would like to recognise the support of Minister Alan Kelly, Senator John Gilroy, Cork County Council CEO, Tim Lucey, and Pat Lyons, Chairman of FORAS, who were invaluable in securing the agreement.
“Work will now turn towards developing the site for the benefit of the game regionally and nationally in the coming years.”
Chairman of FORAS – Cork City FC, Pat Lyons, added:
“There have been two major developments in Cork soccer, which together will ensure that soccer is sustainable in Cork into the future. The foundation of FORAS, which is a trust owned and run by the supporters of Cork City FC, and now for the first time in the history of Cork soccer, thanks to this development, a Cork club will have a permanent base.
“In the past five years since FORAS took charge there have been some great milestones but this has been a major achievement, not only for Cork City FC but for the wider Cork community and indeed the Munster region in general.”
Originally published at 15.38
big talent at 9 for Leinster..
Great to see Hugh doing so well. He was a key component in Belvo winning the cup for the last 2 years.
On the wider point of GAA / Rugby crossover and any perceived hostility, I don’t see any contradictions. Both sports have similar skills re ball handling and decision making and both are full contact sports. For as long back as I can recall there has always been a crossover of guys playing both codes. From Michael Hickey in the 1970s right up to present day with David Hawkshaw, Belvos current outhalf playing minor football for Dublin, to name but 2 and there have been more. Long may it continue
@Tom O’Gorman: there is a huge battle at younger ages between GAA and rugby for athletes.. training being scheduled to clash forcing players to pick etc.
@Lf: very true LF and not likely to end any time soon. As a supporter of both codes I probably get less exercised about it than others who see talent migrating from their sport to “the dark side ” as they might perceive it. Even within the GAA code there’s a battle between hurling and football for the best available talent. As standards rise it’s becoming impossible for guys to meet the demands of playing rugby and GAA. It’s a pity that lads are forced to make these choices at a younger and younger age nowadays.
@Tom O’Gorman: I agree that having played both sports, their is a lot of crossover between them. As you say, it helps with spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.
However, at an elite level, and particularly in the forwards, the physical demands of each sport are like chalk and cheese by the time a player is 18 years old.
Backs can enjoy the best of both worlds up until minor level but elite rugby players are conditioned in completely different ways to GAA players by the time their 18.
I’m surprised the GAA charm offensive is still carrying on now that the RWC bid is dead.
@Alistair Fyffe: really? There’s hostility from a lot of people with GAA roots towards rugby, but there’s very little in the other direction. The “charm offensive” has been around for a lot longer than the RWC bid, and there are a lot of players in Irish rugby with roots in GAA. It’s not an offensive.
@Conor Paddington: Conor, that is very simply not true. There is hostility within rugby circles towards all sports and pressure to only play it. That also applies to soccer and gaa within certain clubs( the most successful ones because they can). To say it’s only in one direction is naive.
@Conor Paddington: I have to disagree here Conor. I remember playing rugby in UCC and one fella put on a Cork GAA jersey after training and he got a pile of abuse – you know the kind that pretends to be all in good fun but reveals some actual resentment. There are always people on here moaning that our rugby team would be much better if it wasn’t for the GAA taking away all these potential athletes. The hostility is definitely a two-way street.