Listowel's Fr Sheedy Park receives facelift

The famous Listowel Emmets club in Kerry has unveiled plans for its magnificent new pitch and clubhouse at Cahirdown in the north Kerry town. It's an ambitious project utilising the full support of the close-knit community, including local firm Brendan Nolan Engineering Consultants Ltd. who are overseeing the project from start to finish.

Gaels in Listowel are positively delighted with the news that their beloved Fr Sheedy Park is finally to get its long-overdue redevelopment, which will render it one of the finest venues anywhere in the Kingdom . . . right up there with Killarney and Tralee.

This is no more than the county's third-largest town deserves, especially as it is a veritable hive of GAA activity. On completion, the club’s redeveloped home will be a giant step forward from the unacceptable conditions that dog Listowel Emmets at present (with the pitch virtually unplayable for up to four months a year and inadequate juvenile facilities at the clubís disposal).

None of this would have been possible without the foresight and determination of the club's forward-looking Development Committee (which is chaired by former Kerry star Stephen Stack), nor indeed without the professional input and expertise of consultant Brendan Nolan whose proven qualities in his chosen field of excellence will ensure that the dream becomes a reality.

Brendan Nolan Engineering Consultants Ltd. was established eight years and operates out of the town of Listowel itself, covering north Kerry and west Limerick.

The firm provides a broad, across-the-board service (mainly to private developers), specialising predominantly in residential developments such as housing estates and apartment complexes but also offering a strong and thorough consultancy package on commercial projects (hotels, bars, restaurants etc).

A comprehensive service is provided from the planning stages through to site supervision and completion.

Notable projects overseen by Brendan and his team in the recent past include The Medical Centre at Market Street in the literature-steeped town of Listowel, while he will also work on Barrett's Golf & Country Hotel in the town (this is currently going through the planning process and work should commence within twelve months).

The 600,000 euro Listowel Emmets redevelopment project is Brendan Nolan Engineering Consultants' first GAA venture. How did it materialise? The proprietor notes: "I played underage football with the club and know most of the members. That connection was there and they approached me twelve months ago with a rough idea of what they wanted to do. I drew up the plans and they were happy with the proposals and the estimated costs so we're taking it from there.

"The club is very active raising funds at the moment and we're hoping to be in a position to start work on the development by September."

While it was something of a challenge to Brendan, as he hadn't worked around a GAA pitch before, he knew it was a project he could oversee with maximum confidence: "We won't be doing the actual pitch itself. That'll be drained and sand-based and laid and then we'll come in to work on the perimeter wall, clubhouse, dressing rooms and car-parks as well as upgrading the stand and adding new terracing."

Upon completion, the development will be a huge boost to the people of Listowel. As Brendan acknowledges: "This is something that was very badly needed. The facilities that were there simply weren't encouraging young lads to play football. They couldn't even use the pitch most of the year and it was really holding them back. These facilities will be second to none and will be of tremendous benefit to the club, the town and the whole north Kerry region.

"The club will get even stronger. They are doing very well at present and are the top team in north Kerry with the likes of Noel Kennelly, Stephen Stack and Brian Scanlon who is a Kerry junior, but the new pitch and clubhouse and facilities should enhance the underage aspect of the club in a big way and will help them sow the seeds for what will hopefully be a very productive future."

Since accepting the Fr Sheedy Park project, Brendan Nolan Engineering Consultants has also been approached by the nearby Moyvane club, for whom they will build new dressing-rooms in the not-too-distant future. Work on Moyvane's pitch is already underway and Brendan hopes that the actual building can begin before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the redevelopment of the centrally-located Fr Sheedy Park owes its roots to the ambition of the Listowel Emmets GAA club under the leadership of Listowel Maor Tom Walsh and Development Committee Chairman Stephen Stack.

Stephen took his vision to Brendan Nolan who drew up plans for the new development. This includes (around a new playing pitch, with a training pitch behind one goal): an upgrade of the existing stand, new lighting, two new terraces, new parking (and disabled parking), a stone-featured wall, and a clubroom. As Stephen explains: “The project will be divided into three phases.”

Phase I: new sand carpet; prunty-type all-weather pitch and new training area

Phase II: construction of new clubrooms and function rooms; full pitch floodlighting; provision for car parking including car parking; new electronic scoreboard

Phase III: refurbishment of stand; new terracing and paths; security lighting; stone feature front wall.
National Lottery, Munster Council, corporate/business/personal donations and various other fundraising exercises will finance the project.

Listowel Emmets hadn’t upgraded their facilities for 22 years and this work was long overdue due to a general deterioration of facilities. The playing surface was unusable for 4/5 months, the clubrooms had deteriorated and the end result of all this was an economic loss to the locality.

With club finances in good order, the decision was made at an EGM last November to proceed with the new development.

Joining Chairman Stephen Stack on the Development Committee are Cathal Henigan and Pat Carmody (Joint Treasurers), Vincent Carmody (Secretary), Con McCarthy (Director of Finance) and Tadhg Moriarity (Director of Field Development & Operations). In addition, there is a strong 30-man committee, divided into Field Development officers and Finance officers.

The club held a very successful launch of the project in the AIB Bank in Listowel on Friday May 3rd. Kerry manager Paidi O’Se officially launched the project at a high-profile ceremony which was attended by numerous politicians, digniteries and Kerry footballers past and present. A total of 250 people turned up to offer their support.

Phase one of the club’s fundraising activities is now underway. The club is looking for 150 life club patrons and its funding ambition over the next two years is to raise between 250,000 and 300,000 euro locally.

Stephen Stack concludes: “From our initial contact with people, we have received tremendous support and encouragement not only in the town but nationwide and even abroad.”
Listowel will have a new home of which to be proud.