Higgins welcomes Galway City Council’s bid for Sports Capital Grant for Millers Lane.

Delivery of a much needed hockey facility would be a game-changer for the sport.

Fine Gael Councillor Clodagh Higgins has today welcomed news that Galway City Council has submitted a funding application for facilities for Connacht Hockey as part of the local authority’s recommendations for 17 projects under the Sport Capital fund available from central government.

At present there is only one suitable pitch available to play hockey in the City, at Dangan, a facility a number of clubs within the City are reliant on, to include; Greenfields, Galway Hockey and Renmore Hockey.

Councillor Higgins has been supporting Connacht Hockey’s application from the very outset and has made representations to secure funding for the game at local, national and European level. 

Councillor Higgins continued “I am particularly happy to see that Galway City Council has put forward a Regional Sports Capital Funding application of €300,000 for Millers Lane in order to develop suitable pitch facilities for hockey”.

Councillor Higgins stated “A lot of work has been put in to get to this point, especially by President of Connacht Hockey, Kevin Keane, his committee members including Aisling Keogh and local clubs which is testament to their huge commitment to the game. I have supported these efforts and worked tirelessly with them by putting hockey’s plight on the agenda at European, National and Local level. The announcement of their inclusion in the applications for funds is a culmination of these combined efforts.”

Councillor Higgins concluded “The intention is to progress the project towards planning this year and implement development plans as soon as possible thereafter subject to funding.”

“I would particularly like to thank Chief Executive Brendan McGrath of Galway City Council, and Carmel Kilcoyne, who progressed the application for Sports Capital funding and listened to the concerns of hockey players in our City. Hopefully this process that is now underway will continue, without impediments, and hockey clubs can expect a state of the art facility in a timely manner, this will be a game-changer for the sport and will help the sport survive and thrive in our region while allowing clubs to develop their squads and ensure local players represent us on a national stage”.