- November 15, 2016
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Home News, Industry News, News
As part of a plan for the renewal of the Sackville Avenue area of Ballybough in Dublin, Ireland, the GAA and the local handball and community centre have announced a new partnership initiative.
The GAA has agreed to work with Dublin City Council on the reconstruction of Sackville Avenue. This will provide new housing, the demolition of the existing Croke Villas, a new entrance to Croke Park to take pressure off other local streets and the building of a world-class National Handball and Community Centre. The project will require planning permission and other approvals, to be sought in the near future.
The new Centre will be managed by a partnership arrangement between the GAA and the local community and handball centre members, the result of a lengthy mediation process chaired by former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Until the new Centre replaces the existing facility beside Hill 16, arrangements have been agreed for the GAA to participate in the management of the existing premises.
I am very pleased to have played a role in clearing the way for the renewal of a part of Ballybough that desperately needs it and in adding an important new mechanism for the GAA and the local community to work together.
The GAA sees the arrangements agreed with Dublin City Council and the local handball community as an opportunity for the GAA to make a further major contribution to the improvement and renewal of the area surrounding Croke Park. We look forward to working closely with the local community in the new partnership arrangements.
The local handball and community centre members welcome the spirit of partnership and co-operation that forms the basis of the agreement reached with the GAA. We are happy that the long running court case has been resolved. We now look forward to a harmonious relationship with the GAA that will be an enormous benefit to the local community and the handball community alike.
