Arena Project Update – March 2022

As you know we are nearing the completion of our Hurling Arena and Outdoor Astro Turf area at our Cappagh Lodge Complex. The project when completed will add an inside covered Astro Turf and outside Astro Turf both served by Concrete hurling walling. The indoor Arena Astro turf will be 60m x 30m and the external Astro turf is nearly as big again in size. This will be a huge addition to the clubs facilities for underage development and adult skills training.

Space for training within the club is at a premium in the winter months especially during bad weather and the Arena will help to alleviate this problem. For the first time in memory the underage hurlers at U9s (2013 born), U11s, U13s, U15s, U17s and Camogie players at U10, U12, U14, U15, Junior and Senior Camogie teams were all training in January this year – making the best use they could of the small Astro turf behind the Stand at the main field and the School Astro also. It will be so exciting to see how much of an advantage having the larger Arena to train in will be going forward.

During the coaches visits over the last few weeks, for the Camogie and Minor club, there was a lot of excitement on seeing the size of the Arena and a lot of eagerness to get in there with the various teams and start the work of developing players in top class facilities.

The project cost and construction timeframe have increased from that originally estimated, factors such as Covid-19, which delayed the project in a big way and the cost increases in materials and the added elements such as the outdoor astro turf have contributed to this. The club will have a top class facility at completion which will be available to the club for many years to come.

Some items that have been completed recently include:

1. Concrete Floors in the Entrance area have now been completed

2. The floors have also been completed to the Up-Stairs viewing area

3. The internal walls around the perimeter have now been fully painted white to stunning effect

4. All drainage works have been completed

5. Surface Stone and Drainage Stone in the outdoor wall ball is completed

6. Indoor and Outdoor lights are shining brightly now having recently been completed by Lynchap Electrical. In fact some extra work including Audio Visual cabling was installed at no cost to the club by Lynchap. The value here was in the region of €3,500 – so Thank you very much to Lynchap for this.

7. All outstanding roof works are now completed

8. The Perimeter fencing around the exterior Hurling area is now in progress.

Progress to Date - 95% Complete in terms of construction elements

Cost of Work Completed - €845k

Funding Required to Complete - €75k

The club have been very fortunate to have been able to fund this wonderful project predominantly by way of the generosity of the community of Sixmilebridge and wider diaspora, for which we are very grateful. Other contributors to the project have been corporate sponsors and Sports Capital Grant Funding in 2017 - €71k, 2018 - €41k and a Special Donation of €100k. The club had also taken out a loan of €199k and now there is €150k still left to be paid. There is a further €75k projected as required to complete the project. There will be a requirement to pay back the loan over the next number of years and because of this we are ever so grateful of our regular direct debit lotto subscribers.

Notwithstanding the above, the club now wishes to increase the Lotto Subscribers so as to be able to run down the loan for the arena in a shorter term and also to generate the extra funding of €75k required immediately to speed up the completion of the Arena. If you are not subscribing and you or your children do avail of the facilities in the club we would encourage you to help out if you can at all.

The club will be promoting subscription to our Lotto in the coming weeks.

An opening date has now been established of September 2022 to coincide with the schools return from summer holidays and also in time for the winter training season. This date will facilitate all the small finishing touches required to be done between now and then.

“Thank You - For Your Continued Support”