‘Very positive’ sale of Granard land to a Longford GAA club to be finalised in July
The council-owned lands at Higginstown in Granard have been sold to St Mary's GAA Club
There was a positive reaction from local representatives to an update on the disposal of council land at Higginstown to St Mary's GAA Club with delight that the agreement is progressing and should be concluded by next month.
Cllr Padraig McNamara proposed the disposal of the council-owned lands at Higginstown, Granard, Co Longford and it was seconded by Cllr Mark Casey.
Cllr McNamara said that St Mary's GAA Club had been leasing the land for many years and they approached him and said they were trying to acquire the grounds.
There were a number of issues that led to prolonged delays but Cllr McNamara said there is now a lot of optimism and relief that an agreement had been reached for the future development of the Higginstown Sports Complex.
The sale was agreed in principle in late-March and the change of ownership is expected to be completed by July.
Cllr McNamara thanked everyone involved, including Chief Executive Paddy Mahon, for all of their support and he said he felt it was appropriate the efforts of all involved were highlighted.
"I think it needs to be spoken about because a lot of work and effort went in to achieve the sale of the lands down there, it's something that has been going on the past 10 years.
"I am glad to say I was part of achieving it and for getting the grounds for St Mary's there.
"I know this is only their home patch where they play their games, but the other part, the [former] Pitch and Putt grounds have to come up yet.”
Cllr McNamara commended the role of Longford County Council in terms of putting the building blocks in place to enable the agreement to come to fruition and he thanked the local authority and directors of services.
"A lot of hard work went in on the council side, a lot of manhours until we got a solution for the Granard Agricultural Show and St Mary's and I'm glad to say they are very happy with what they have."
"I think it's very positive for the town and it's going to mean that the 300 or 400 kids there are going to get a lot of benefit out of the grounds that are there and I think it's something we should mark and we shouldn't be flippant over.
"It's great to see a very positive result and I thank the council and the directors of services that were involved over the years because there was toing and froing with that project for an awful long time."
Independent Cllr Turlough McGovern, who also played his part, said it was a great day for Higginstown.
"It has been one that has been on the maps and the two disposals of land at Higginstown along with Granard Agricultural Show, it gives them a great incentive to go forward, it's their own and no more than Granard GAA Club in Higginstown, they can build on it there and rightly so.
"The work starts now for them, we are fundraising now and everything else.
"The two fundraisers are going on at the one time and it's great we have got it over the line."
Funded by the local democracy reporting scheme