The Kilmacrennan Community Development Group are advancing their ambitious development of a new community facility by launching a major fundraising draw – with a top-prize of a six-night trip to Dubai – next week.
The development is to incorporate a sports complex housing a full-size soccer pitch, a basketball court, tennis court and the facility, located on a 15-acre site just outside Kilmacrennan village, will also include a community playground.
On the site, work on the entry road, a car park, stone work and site work has already begun. Until now, the entire project has been self-funded. In 2015, a country music festival in Kilmacrennan raised over €10,000 for the fund, while the steering group have also benefitted from the Gartan Adventure Race and allocation from Donegal County Council’s Strategic Development Fund.
Local County Councillor John O’Donnell is a member of the group.
“We are now launching it to the public as we want to try and get people to row in behind so we can form an official committee,” he said.
“Kilmacrennan is in bad need of a development like thus. There is neither a playground nor a pitch in Kilmacrennan.
“We have already done a lot of work. We managed to secure the site on a long-term lease with the option to buy. We got planning permission and we’ve applied for a Sports Capital grant. We’re also currently applying for LEADER funding so all is gingery good so far.
“The whole thing has been self-funded until now. We want to push the tickets to gather money so we can have matching funding. We’ve done all this work already without reaching out to the community. We have no debt or liability which is great.”
Kilmacrennan Celtic’s senior teams have not been able to use Lurgy Park in recent years as it is not deemed the correct size to play adult matches on. The teams have been playing at venues such as Letterkenny Community Centre and Errigal College since then.
The launch of the draw takes place on Friday-week, June 30, in Kilmacrennan National School at 8pm.
The top prize is an a holiday to Dubai, sponsored by the McGettigan Hotal Group. The prize includes flights and accommodation in the Bonnington Jumeirah Hotel.
The second prize is €500 sponsored by McTaggart Insulation; third prize is a €500 oil voucher sponsored by DS Environmental Services; fourth prize is a two-night B&B trip to the Great Northern in Bundoran; fifth prize is a two-night B&B trip to Castle Dragan, Sligo; sixth prize is a pair of tickets for a Republic of Ireland international; seventh prize is four green fees for Galway Bay Golf Club; eighth prize is a €100 voucher for Wet & Wild; ninth prize is a meal for two at Dillon’s Hotel; and tenth prize is a meal for two at the Lagoon, Termon.
Tickets cost €10 or three for €20 and the draw takes place on December 30th.
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