COLÁISTE Feirste have said that they will be forced to close the doors of their Spórtlann na hÉireann facilities to the public if Belfast City Council continue to withhold previously agreed funding for the site, as the schools Board of Governors meet to decide the fate of the centre.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News, the chair of the schools Board of Governors, Seán Mistéil said that when the Council decided to close Beechmount Leisure Centre, they recognised the need to find a way to retain services in the area.
“Coláiste Feirste aquired the land from Belfast City Council and there was a commitment at the time that the council would support access to the facilities through a grant," he said. "At the time the Council recognised that they couldn’t afford to run the centre.
“We are a school, we are not a council or leisure centre and it would be impossible for us to continue to support public access to our facilities without some form of grant.
“Since Spórtlann na hÉireann opened we have done our best to support local sporting, cultural and arts organisations in the area but that is at a loss and cannot be sustained going forward.
“We are excited about the prospect of Spórtlann na hÉireann playing its role in the wider regeneration of the whole Gaeltacht Quarter area. It has something dynamic and powerful as a whole.”
Seán added that Spórtlann na hÉireann is the only sporting facility that has the Irish language as its unique selling point.
“It is something for visitors to enjoy and we want to share that with the city but we cannot do that without support from the Council,” he continued.
“We are calling on the Council to recognise the understanding they gave us in 2016 when this was first discussed.
“At this time our facilites are being used by many fantastic groups. It is home to Laochra Loch Lao which is Belfast’s only Irish speaking GAA club. That has been a phenomenal pathway for children who are attending Irish language primary schools and kids who are attending Coláiste Feirste. They know that Irish will be the first language spoken and that can only be great for the city.
“Our first duty of care is to education within the school and to the pupils of the school. One of the things on our radar at this moment in time is the wear and tear of our facilities through public access.
“In terms of the upkeep of the facilities going into the future, we would need some kind of assurance that when the 3G pitch, for example, needs resurfaced that the funds will be available. This is an ongoing cost burden that the school cannot continue to carry.”
Local councillor Ciarán Beattie said the commitment by Belfast City Council dates back to 2009 when Council said they would contribute financially towards the upkeep of the centre.
“That hasn’t happened as yet and now there is a cost having to be incurred by the school. Before Covid Coláiste Feirste were taking a hit and it was no longer sustainable.
“I have spoken to the City Solicitor on the issue. We need to put some sort of remedy in place for Council to contribute financially towards the development of Spórtlann.”
A Belfast City Council spokesperson said “Council is aware of this issue and will engage with the trustees of Spórtlann na hÉireann at Coláiste Feirste.”
