Sports Facilities
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-07
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Robbie Gallagher (FF), Labour Panel

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I also thank him for his commitment to the development of sporting infrastructure in Monaghan and Cavan. I have seen that commitment at first hand. I thank his colleague the Minister, Deputy Calleary, for his commitment to the development of St. Tiernach's Park.
The Ulster final is hugely important to Clones town. A study from 2024 estimated that the match day was worth approximately €1.5 million to the local economy and €2.1 million to the economy of the county. It is important. Clones is a unique and special place. It has so much to offer. Many people would be familiar with St. Tiernach's Park, but the Government has invested huge money in the development of the Ulster Canal. Some €127 million has been committed by the Government for its development, much of it through the shared island initiative which the Taoiseach developed and a lot through the Minister for the environment, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the previous incumbent in the Department of the environment, who provided significant funding. It is an exciting development. The most recent announcement of €30 million is welcome and we look forward to that development. We also have the Peace Link, which is another important piece of infrastructure. Clones is a special place. We are now looking for the development of St. Tiernach's Park not just to host large football matches but to host other community events.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-07/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:09+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-07