Louth senator urges action on delayed Dundalk running track
He noted that many athletes are forced to train under less-than-ideal conditions currently
Louth Fine Gael senator John McGahon has highlighted the urgent need for the delivery of a running track in Dundalk, in a statement to the Seanad.
Senator McGahon said: "My home town of Dundalk has an incredibly proud sporting tradition. It is a football town and a GAA town."
"We have an incredible history of sport, no more so than in the world of athletics, where we recently had the Olympian, Kate O'Connor, and Irish athlete, Israel Olatunde."
McGahon went on to highlight the significant contributions of Dundalk’s athletic clubs, such as Dundalk St. Gerard's Athletics Club, North East Runners Dundalk, Blackrock Athletic Club, and Dún Dealgan Athletic Club. He praised the athletes who continue to train rigorously, often in challenging conditions.
"I live in Seatown, and every night of the week, I see members of these clubs out running the roads in darkness," he said. "That is happening because there has been a substantial delay in delivering a world-class running track in Dundalk since 2019-2020."
Senator McGahon attributed much of the delay to planning issues with the local authority, claiming: "Much of the blame lies with the local authority due to planning issues. It is certainly not with the Government, which has been willing and able to provide substantial funding at every stage.
"If we are going to support the athletes of the future and have the next Kates and Israels in my town of Dundalk, we need a world-class running track."
He also highlighted the practical consequences of the delay, noting that many athletes are forced to train under less-than-ideal conditions. "Athletes should not have to go to Drogheda and Newry, and they should not have to run the roads in darkness in the middle of the winter," he said, calling for the facility to be completed as soon as possible.
Senator McGahon concluded by urging the Government and the Department to put pressure on Louth County Council to expedite the process.
"We need this saga over a running track to come to a successful conclusion. We want a world-class facility in the heart of Dundalk, supporting our athletes, so the town of Dundalk can continue to champion a very proud sporting tradition," he stated.
Answering for the government, leader of the Seanad Senator Lisa Chambers expressed her support for Senator McGahon’s call for action.
"Senator McGahon called for funding to be made available for a running track in Dundalk. He stated that there had been delays and that the many fantastic athletics clubs in the town were going without this important facility. I support the Senator in his call," she said, pointing to the recent government investments in sport as evidence of ongoing support for local facilities.