Skatepark planned for Bailieboro

‘Ollies’, ‘nollies’, ‘backsides’ and ‘fakies’ could soon become part of the regular lexicon shared by the youth of Bailieborough after Cavan County Council committed to exploring the prospect of installing skatepark facilities in the east Cavan town.

The proposal has even taken a further step forward after members elected to the Bailieborough-Cootehill Municipal District area gave their backing to the council to explore a potential site for the development. The location, suggested by Sinn Féin’s Paddy McDonald on foot of a motion tabled by him at the area members’ May meeting, is on a greenfield site located between Bailieborough Community Childcare and the Woodview Estate in the townland of Drumbannan.

He said the pastime, considered an extreme sport, has grown in popularity in Cavan in recent years, especially since the skatepark opened at Con Smith Park in Cavan Town in 2016, and Bailieborough was no exception.

He suggested there were a number of sites that could accommodate such amenity investment, whereas otherwise the open spaces may suffer from illegal waste being dumped nearby.

Cllr McDonald said that the Drumbannan site was central to several local estates and, between them, there were several hundred young people living in the immediate area.

His motion was supported by Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly who noted that the Cavan skatepark, which cost in the region of €125,000 to install, was “well used”, adding that towns across the county needed “more amenities for youth”.

She stressed that it was necessary the park be located in a “busy” location so as to deter vandalism, and noted the Drumbannan site “seems to tick all the boxes”.

The delivery of the skatepark in Cavan Town was a joint initiative by Cavan County Council and Cavan Sports Partnership. Funding of €80,000 was received under the Department of Transport Tourism and Sports Capital Grant Scheme and the balance of €45,000 was provided by the local authority under the ‘Healthy Ireland Initiative’, the national framework for action to improve the health and well-being.

“The whole skateboarding thing is getting very, very fashionable at this time,” remarked Fianna Fáil’s Clifford Kelly, who gave his backing to the plan. He said there were teenagers in Kingscourt who were also beginning to show interest in taking up the sport.

Party colleague Aiden Fitzpatrick (regarded the motion as “worthwhile”, in particular when considering that there were whole swaths of young people who aren’t interested in playing GAA or Soccer. “They’re out on a limb,” he said.

Fine Gael’s Carmel Brady added that she was supportive of any measure aimed at diverting young people away from hanging out at “street corners”.

The motion was also supported by chair of the meeting, Val Smith (FG).

Director of Services, Paddy Connaughton, informed the meeting that the “main challenge” was in pinning down a location, which was “key”, and “funding will come after”.

He said he would speak to his colleagues in the planning department and return to members with a proposal ahead of their next meeting.