New All-Weather Football Pitch Opens in Marlay Park

Marlay ParkIt was great to attend the official opening of a new all-weather  pitch in Marlay Park , on Wednesday last, alongside the manager of the Republic of Ireland national soccer team, Martin O’Neill and local colleagues Cllr. Lettie McCarthy and Cathaoirleach Carrie Smyth.

I was delighted to attend the official opening of the new all-weather pitch at Marlay Park. This is a great resource for our local community.

I was very impressed by the facilities on show here which are already being used by South Dublin soccer clubs including Mount Merrion Youths, Mount Merrion Seniors, Broadford Rovers Seniors, Stedfast Utd., Spartak Dynamo, Dundrum Football Club and Granada Football Club.

The pitch also has the capacity to be used as a Gaelic Football pitch and will provide a boost for local clubs, especially during the long winter months, when many grass pitches are unplayable.

This wonderful new pitch will be managed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Leisure Services, who already successfully operate a full-size pitch in Stepaside and two smaller pitches in Meadowbrook.

This amenity will bring great health benefits to our area, offering children and adults alike a fantastic outlet through which to not only practice and develop their skills, but also to improve their well-being.

As Minister of State at the Department of Health, I’m a keen advocate of the ‘Healthy Ireland’ national framework to improve the health of our country over the coming generation, along with programmes such as the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership. I hope that the provision of this new pitch will encourage people to become more active and to lead a healthier lifestyle.