I am delighted to be here today to open these new facilities for Drumcondra Football Club.
The completion of this project proves the ongoing strength and vibrancy of this club. You now have very fine dressing rooms in place that will add hugely to the club. Not only will these facilities serve your own members well, they will also be a welcome attraction to the many teams visiting Drumcondra.
Well-appointed and suitable facilities are critical to the growth of any club. Not only does the provision of proper facilities ensure that club members can prepare for matches in appropriate surrounds, they also enhance the club’s identity.
This is particularly important for a club that has invested such time and energy into encouraging young people in Drumcondra to play football at the highest levels over so many years.
Today, I would like to pay tribute to all those who have worked so hard to bring this development about. I know that a very strong and active committee, chaired by Michael Gallagher, were the drivers of this project. What you have achieved today is a credit to your energy and commitment – long may it last!
Equally, I would like to thank all those in the local community – parents, local business people and others – who have supported this club over the years. Support at grass roots level is critical to the survival of any club. Without your fundraising efforts, your sponsorship and your turnout at matches, it would be difficult for a club such as this to survive. Your support forms the backbone of the thriving sporting culture we can boast of in this country.
I know that the five teams represented from under eight to under fifteen here at Drumcondra continue to keep the flag flying with success at both League and Cup level in Dublin. You boys can certainly be proud of your achievements and I hope you will continue to work on developing your skills in warding off the challengers in the years ahead.
As a huge sports’ – and in particular football – enthusiast, I would really encourage you to continue your involvement with sport, as you get older. There is nothing quite like playing on a team in terms of the friends – and even sometimes the enemies – you make! Furthermore, you also learn great skills in terms of working with others and of course developing your own footballing skills. And it goes without saying that sport is also hugely important in terms of keeping fit and staying in good shape. Being young and active as you are at the moment that might not seem so important. You will certainly notice the difference in years to come however!
In recognising the benefits of sport to young people the Government has spent some €40million since 2001 directly aimed at encouraging and creating more opportunities to participate in field sports. We feel this is particularly important in an era when there are ever more competing interests on young people’s time – in particular with the rise in more passive recreational activities.
Equally, we know that the availability of modern, well-equipped facilities are vital in terms of encouraging people of all ages to become involved in sport. That is why the budget for sport has increased by over 800% from just €17m in 1997 to over €154.3 million next year. I know that this project was approved over €166,000 in funding under the Sports Capital Programme – the programme under which we have been developing the sporting infrastructure in this country in recent years.
I have no doubt that the opening of these new facilities heralds even better times ahead for Drumcondra Football Club. Once again, I congratulate you on all that you have achieved here and I wish you every success for the future.
Thank you
ENDS