New Sean Dolan's facilities ensuring success for next generation in Creggan

Just over 11 years on from one of the darkest days in Sean Dolans’ history, the club is writing a brand-new chapter with the completion of its state-of-the-art facilities, designed to secure the future of gaelic football in Creggan for generations to come.

Earlier this week, the final handover took place between Radius Housing and Dolan’s, as part of a wider community regeneration project, which includes the construction of 119 new homes beside the club.

The new facilities area an extinction of the clubhouse pavilion, with a new indoor arena with 3G sports surface. They also include a multi-purpose room for the sports club and community: training space, gym room and meeting rooms, as well as space for dance classes and social events.

It is the end of a long and challenging road for everyone at Dolans, who were left devastated by a fire to their old club house back in 2011, which left the club on its knees.

“The fire was a turning point because initially we had a bar and there was a lot of emphasis was on that so we decided to actually focus purely on gaelic football and more importantly on the development of children and young people,” Dolan’s Secretary Danny Cassidy reflected. “We put a lot of effort into building up our underage structure. After the fire we also lost all of our teams bar one, which was the senior team, so we decided to put the emphasis on children and young people and build up structure in an environment that was healthy. That’s the road we went down.”

It is difficult not to be blown away by the facilities at Dolans’ today, with the club almost unrecognizable from where it has been in recent years.

“It’s been a long number of years, particularly since the fire,” Danny continued. “When you think about the fire back in 2011, from there to where we are now, where we’ve got a completely new complex with a new pitch, state of the art changing rooms as well as the 3G indoor hall as well as the multi-function room so it’s been a real journey that has been filled with ups and downs.

“We’ve managed to turn around the whole club in terms of two different developments; one was to get the new pitch and changing rooms operational and we did that. Then, the next phase was to introduce 3G into the hall with a multi-function room beside it and to actually do ground work around the pitch with a new car park etc. and we’ve managed to do that too.

“We’ve done it all in conjunction with Radius and part of that process was that we were able to introduce 119 social houses in the Creggan area.”

Determined

The changes have not come easily, with Danny admitting to times where it would have been easy to walk away from the dream of a 21st century facility.

“The hurdles we have had to overcome have been substantial,” he acknowledged. “We had to really believe in the outcome because through the years you could have just thrown the head and said there are too many issues and legal and financial problems to overcome. But we didn’t do that, we kept believing in what we were doing and eventually we have now delivered a three and a half million-pound project between the two projects and we’re debt free, we don’t owe a penny for that development, which is very unique.”

The club’s focus has not wavered once throughout the whole process, and while the construction work was going on in the background, the club continued to build and strength on the pitch, with numbers at the club at their highest level at youth level, with both boys’ and girls’ teams flourishing.

“We never believed it was about us, it was always about the children and the young people so we kept that very much to the fore,” Danny insisted. “We’re not the important people; all we are there to do, and what is important for any committee, is to deliver the facilities to enable our coaches to improve the gaelic football skills of young people. I think that’s important because sometimes a committee can develop a life of its own, but they are the important people, but we’re not important; anything we’ve done has been for the benefit of the young people.”

The development is the first part of two in the Creggan community, with 119 social houses set to follow in due course. The partnership between Radius and Dolans is groundbreaking, in more ways than one.  

“It's very innovative in terms of the community and the GAA and the private sector coming together to develop this,” Danny explained. “It’s a huge investment into a deprived area and that was important. Ourselves and Radius did it all with great togetherness and trust and support; we never fell out or overly-argued, we were both focused on what was best on the outcomes for the community in its entirety. These are facilities that the people of Creggan and the community of Creggan can be very proud of.”

2023 promises so much for Sean Dolan’s, with the future now anything it wants to be for those at the club.

“What’s next for Sean Dolan’s is now to deliver on what the facilities were built for and that’s to improve the teams, get better outcomes for the teams, bring more children in, and hopefully, in the future, move up the divisions in terms of gaelic football,” Danny said.

“There are both girls and boys teams now and they are showing potential; We’ve always felt there was potential in the Creggan area for gaelic football, and these facilities will enhance their ability to go to the next level, and that’s important.

“We’re hoping to have a joint launch between ourselves and Radius. We’re seeing both sies of what is good about community development and sporting development, and I think it’s important that us being to the fore in actually helping to deliver 119 badly-needed houses as well as well as a sporting facility that will really help the health and well-being young people in the area. That’s really important.”

‘Excited’

Speaking as the new facilities were handed over to Sean Dolan’s, Andrew Lennon from Radius Housing, said: “We are delighted to see the new facilities for Sean Dolan’s and the wider community finished and handed over to the club. At Radius we know that the success of new housing developments is built on how they integrate with the local community, and we have been excited by this project as it centred around enhancing the local community alongside the new homes. This is the first element of a really ambitious project in partnership with the GAA and Derry City and Strabane District Council, and we are looking forward to welcoming the first new tenants to Creevagh Heights in the coming months.”

Marcus McCrystal, Chair of Sean Dolans GAC, added “We are delighted that the new sports and community facilities are completed, and that the community can begin to make use of this amazing space. Having these facilities means that we can raise the ambition we have for the club, both on and off the field. We are grateful to Derry City & Strabane Council, NIHE, the Department for Communities and the GAA for their support, and most of all to Radius and their contractor, P & K McKaugue, who have made this happen. Radius do not see obstacles, they find solutions, and they have played a huge role in supporting this club and the wider community.”