None – Taoiseach Officially Opens Athletic Track In Templemore
– Main fixtures for 2008 An Taoiseach Mr. Bertie Ahern TD officially opened Tipperary’s only Olympic Running Track in the Town Park, Templemore on Friday 16th November at 12.00noon. The Athletic Track has a synthetic running surface, the same as that used in the Athens Stadium at the last Olympic Games in 2004. It is unique in the Country, in that it has a specially designed porous surface which means no matter how heavy it rains, no water lodges on the surface.
To ensure all year round use, the eight lane Athletic Running Track is fully floodlit. It is a magnificent facility which is available to all sports clubs to utilise for Winter Speed Training. The general public also use the new facility between 5.30pm and 9.00pm for walking, jogging or running – more later on the business end of the facility.
Funding:
The facility cost €720,000 to date this will exceed €800,000 when the facility is fully equipped. This means international standard (I.A.A.F. approved) equipment like; high jumps & pole vaults, landing areas, hurdles, steeple chase barriers, starting blocks, judges stand; and other competition equipment.
The main sources of income were Government grants totalling €430,000; local government funding of €100,000 and club fundraising of €200,000. This includes club funds set aside to assist with the purchase of equipment.
The club raised its funds through its annual draw, bag packing in supermarkets, ladies mini-marathon support teams sponsorship, donations from patronage scheme, advertising, progressive 25 drives and golf classics.
This would not have been possible but for the team work and integrated approach between the club’s management committee the Athletic Track Development committee, and the team of fundraisers. They still have work to do to provide further finance to continue the development over the next four years.
Background:
This facility has developed in various stages since 1980. Between 1980 and 1983 an All-weather cinder track was developed, which served the Club very well for twenty years. When it was being developed the foundations were laid for a future ‘TARTAN TRACK WHEN STATE FUNDS WOULD ALLOW’. A clubhouse was built between 1988/1990. This will need up-grading in the future.
In 2000 a specialised Track Development Committee was formed comprising of Tony shelly (RIP), Mick Connell & Martin Leyden, Paddy McLoughlin, Brendan Kennedy, and Adrian McGinley (engineer). This committee examined other Athletic tracks in Ireland, sought advise from a variety of sources as well as communicating with the I.A.A.F. in Switzerland.
Then in late 2004 Swords Sports & Leisure Ltd were appointed overall contractors and commenced work in June 2005 & completed the project in early 2007.
Club:
Templemore AC caters for juveniles, seniors, and masters from the following areas; Clonakenny, Borrisoleigh, Loughmore-Castleiney, Drom & Inch, Templetuohy, Ballycahill, Upperchurch as well as Templemore-Clonmore-Killea. Also a handful of new members hail from other areas like Moneygall, Roscrea, Thurles, and Rahealty. The club coaches all Athletic Filed events as well as Track & Cross Country.
Now that the facility is open to the public many people use the Athletic Track for exercising each evening at a cost of €2.00 per evening or €10 per month or annual fee of €50 per person or €75 per family.
November 16th was another red-letter day in the history of Templemore A.C.
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West Waterford Athletic Club
Main fixtures for 2008
FULL DETAILS AT WWW.WESTWATERFORDATHLETICS.ORG
Contact for further details. Gerry Cantwell 086 3503571.Tony Ryan 087 7657805
