Future is bright, insists new Ceann Comhairle
December 30, 2009After seven years in the making, the finishing touches are being applied to the new Darver Centre of Excellence.
The EUR6 million project, which incorporates six full-size floodlit pitches, one artificial pith and a 18,000 sq ft pavilion, is due to be officially opened next year. The biggest single GAA capital project ever undertaken in Louth, it will be central to the continued development of Gaelic games in the Wee County.
For men like Seamus Kirk, the facility is the realisation of a dream after years of planning, fundraising and development.
"It's great to be at the stage we are at now. It has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but we are nearly there," enthuses the Knockbridge-based TD, who is chairman of the Darver development committee.
"We took a decision to go ahead with the project in 2002 and what you have now is a facility that should ensure a prosperous future for Louth GAA. To have a successful senior team, the right structures have to be in place at underage level. We are very fortunate to have an excellent Ógsport structure where thousands of youngsters are playing games in Darver. Great credit is due to Thomas MacNamee and his excellent coaching and support group.
"The catalyst for this development was when the Louth under 21 footballers had to train on the side of the road. That will never happen again thanks to this development. This Centre of Excellence is for all our county sides and development squads and is a symbol for Louth GAA in the 21st century," he adds.
Seamus, who was recently in the news when he was appointed as the new Ceann Comhairle (chairman of Dail Eireann) in succession to John O'Donoghue, is full of praise for the vast number of people who have made the ambitious project become a reality.
"This has been a real team effort with so many people involved. In particular, I would like to thank our project manager Brendan Carthy and Denis Williams, who is our consultant engineer together with Paddy McMahon, Pat Toner and Colm Marry for their trojan work.
"Without the financial support of bodies like the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and GAA bodies such as the Leinster Council, Infrastructure Committee, Croke Park in conjunction with local fundraising both corporate and individual inside and outside the county, the project would not have been possible. The Development Committee appreciates the support of the wider GAA community in the county.
The Development Committee see the Darver Centre of Excellence as an ideal location for the provision of facilities for the active retired and senior citizens. Hopefully with the passage of time the Centre can be fully developed to cater for their needs.
"This is a very positive and worthwhile development for Louth GAA. We now have a growing population, which currently stands at 110,000, and this facility will cater for the youth of the county."
The former county star says the next goal for the Louth county board must be the development of the county grounds in Drogheda. In recent years, the venue has been overlooked for major games due to its restricted capacity as well as for health and safety reasons.
"While money may be scarce, we have got to get Drogheda up to a higher standard. It's not acceptable that Louth should have to play their 'home' championship matches outside the county because we don't have a ground capable of hosting such games.
"If the O'Raghallaigh Grounds were redeveloped, it would also be an ideal venue to host games involving teams from Leinster and Ulster. If you have the facilities, the spectators will come," he says.
Seamus Kirk is a passionate GAA man, having represented both St. Bride's and Louth with distinction. A noted full back, he was still a minor when he made his senior debut for the Wee County.
He recalls: "I remember playing in the Leinster minor semi-final on a Sunday and I played senior the following Friday night against Dublin in Rush. That was the Dublin team which was on its way to the 1963 All-Ireland. It was something of a baptism of fire for me because I was marking Des 'Snitchie' Ferguson who was on the edge of the square that day."
Kirk was there or thereabouts on the Louth team for the remainder of the 1960s and into the 19070s. But on October 29, 1972, his career was effectively ended by a broken leg which he suffered in a National League match against Down in Drogheda. He was in plaster for 18 months and on crutches for two years.
"I came back and played a few more games after that, but was never really able to get back into it. My career was more or less finished even though I was only 27," he ruefully reflects.
Seamus was full back on the Louth team that captured the Leinster junior football championship at Kildare's expense in 1966 - the Wee County had to wait until this year to regain the title. At club level, he helped Knockbridge to a junior championship success in 1967 and the following year they reached the senior semi-final, only to lose to St. Mary's, Ardee.
Married to Mary, Seamus has four grown-up children - Ciaran, Colm, Kevin and Grainne. Kevin was a member of the St. Bride's team that was knocked out of this year's Louth senior football championship by eventual winners Mattock Rangers.
Despite that defeat, Seamus is optimistic for the future: "There is huge potential in the club. The under 16s won the league this year, and reached the semi-final of the championship where they lost to St. Mary's. It's good to see the young talent coming through."
A lifelong member of Fianna Fail, Seamus first entered politics in 1974 when he was elected onto Louth County Council (he continued to sit on the Council until 1985). He was first elected to the Dail in November 1982 and has retained his seat ever since, topping the poll in the last General Election two years ago.
A member of the Economic Regulatory Affairs and the British-Irish Inter-parliamentary Body, he served as the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food (with special responsibility for Horticulture) from 1987 to '92.
Also a former member of the Joint Committee on European Affairs and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, he was appointed to his most high-profile post to date - Ceann Comhairle - on October 13 last.
Seamus' Louth constituency hasn't been immune from the recession, with many people having lost their jobs. This is something he is determined to tackle head on, however.
"Employment is the biggest single issue in Ireland at the moment. The current economic situation is providing huge challenges for everyone. I'm hopeful that the economy will turn soon. Positive thinking is what's needed.
"Louth has an awful lot going for it and I'm eager to tap into that. There is great potential for cross-border development in Louth. Tourism is an example of this. We have the Cooley Peninsula and the Mourne Mountains within a short distance of each other. By working together with our northern counterparts, we could make this region a hotbed for tourism," he concludes. Tweet
