I am delighted to be joining you here this evening to mark an important milestone for Castleknock Hurling and Football Club.
With a current membership of over 1,000 members, the Club now boasts 40 different teams competing in Gaelic Football, Hurling, Camogie and Ladies Football - and ranging from nursery right through to adults. And the number of players and supporters continues to grow. In July this year, Castleknock Hurling and Football Club will celebrate its 10th Anniversary.
The fact that it has developed into such a vibrant and progressive organisation, in such a short space of time, is testament to a great deal of hard work and dedication.
As one of the fastest growing clubs in the country, you have enjoyed many successes. But I believe the highlight to date, for both the Club and Dublin Hurling, was when the U14 Hurling Team won the All-Ireland Division 1 Féile Final in Kilkenny last June. Congratulations to everyone involved in that fantastic achievement.
Building up a club, like any new initiative, is all about vision, teamwork, commitment and determination. These are qualities that Castleknock Hurling and Football Club has shown in abundance.
Unity and support from all sides is also very important and this is reflected in your Club motto “Le Chéile”. And it is in this spirit of partnership that you are now about to embark on an ambitious €5 million development project. This will see the construction of three pitches, including an all-weather floodlit pitch; a clubhouse; dressing rooms; and car parking facilities. Thanks to Fingal County Council and a lot of effort by your grounds committee, as well as great support from your local representatives, the Club has secured 23 acres at Somerton on a long-term lease. The building project will be carried out over three phases. I am delighted to have been able to turn the sod this evening to officially launch phase I, consisting of two grass pitches, dressing rooms and car parking facilities.
With all this going on, there is a bright and exciting future ahead for Castleknock Hurling and Football Club, as well as for the community as a whole. The development of this site will play a vital role in further enhancing the sporting and social life of people in Castleknock and the surrounding area. In today's society, we are all acutely aware of the positive role that sport can have in developing our people and our communities. We must all do what we can to encourage young people to take part in sport and I have no doubt that developments such as this one will play a major role.
For its part, the Government's commitment to sport is reflected in the National Development Plan, where we have allocated nearly one billion euro for sporting infrastructure during the period up to 2013. Since 1998, €675 million has been allocated through the Sports Capital Programme to over 6,700 different projects. Last year alone, under that particular programme, we allocated €85 million to 935 projects. I am delighted that this Club received funding through the Sports Capital Programme.
Castleknock Hurling and Football Club has also built up a strong set of sponsors over the years and I want to thank all of them, on your behalf, for their continuing support. Assistance such as this is vitally important for the smooth running of events within any club.
I know another great resource for Castleknock Hurling and Football Club is your excellent website, castleknock.net. I believe it is extremely popular and provides an excellent service in regularly updating members. This was recognised a few years ago, when the club won the GAA McNamee Best Club Website award. So, again, well done to everyone involved in that initiative.
It only remains for me to wish everyone involved in this fine building project the very best of luck. I have no doubt but that Castleknock Hurling and Football Club will enjoy continued success for many years to come both on and off the pitch.
On a final note, I want to say a special thanks to Michael Maher and Castleknock Hurling and Football Club for your kind invitation to do the honours here this evening.
Thank you very much for your attention.
ENDS .