Major makeover to repair Finner Camp gym building

A decayed gymnasium at Finner Camp which was at the point of being ‘dangerous’ is to get a major makeover.

The building was put out of commission due to structural damage.

Soldiers in the 28th Infantry Battalion have had to use a make-shift weights room since the gym building was shut down.

The building suffered significant storm damage with visible cracks appearing on the walls. The roof began to leak due to the strain and the floor and foundations suffered damage as a result of the excess rainfall seeping through from the cracks above.

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“This is not easy for our guys, this is not where they want to be. But management has left us with no choice.”

However, it is now set to get a €850,000 facelift as part of a major programme of works to improve Defence Forces buildings.

Solar panels will be installed in the refurbished works to bring the building firmly into the 21st century.

The roof and wall cladding will be replaced in a building that also housed a weights room and a Church as well as a multi-purpose hall. Local community groups previously used the now-decommissioned building for a range of activities, including indoor sports, while army drills were practised in the same building.

Army chiefs deemed the building unusable such was the force of the storm damage with the weights room and the Church subsequently relocated to other buildings onsite.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin visited Finner Camp in March when he flew in to conduct a Ministerial Review of the 67th Infantry Group United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) ahead of their deployment to Syria in April.

This week, the Minister reviewed the progress on the Defence Forces Infrastructure Plan. Across the country, there are over €120m worth of projects underway at different stages of development. Over €25m has been invested in the Curragh Camp along this year.

In 2020, Deputy Thomas Pringle brought the matter to the floor of Dáil Éireann and was informed that the works were planned for later that year.

While the onset of Covid-19 brought about a further delay in the upgrade works, the camp is now set to get renovated.

“On foot of An Tánaiste visiting a number of barracks earlier this year as part of his planned visit to military installations around the country, An Tánaiste instructed that all gyms were to be prioritised to being them all up to an acceptable standard,” a Department of Defence spokesperson told Donegal Live.

“As part of this programme, the works to the gym at Finner Camp will include the replacement of the roof, wall cladding and the installation of Solar PV system at the gymnasium, to assist in meeting the Defence Forces climate change targets. 

“When these works are completed, the gym will be fully functional and in accordance with Defence Force’s needs.”

Finner Camp was first opened in 1896 and used as a training area for British Forces, many of whom fought in the World War I.

After the War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the camp was handed over to the Irish Defence Forces.

On February 17, 1922, the Bedfordshire regiment of the British Army surrendered Finner Camp.