Cedral St Conleth's Park on time and on budget, a major achievement

On time and on budget is a phrase we have heard on numerous occasions as we discuss the opening of Cedral St Conleth's Park with many of those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

And when you really sit down and think about it, to bring in a project that prior to covid, prior to the entire country being locked down, prior to the invasion of Ukraine and all the subsequent knock-on effects that brough with it, to bring a project such as this in on time and within budget has to be recognised as one almighty achievement.

Two of those intrinsically linked with this venture from the word go were Co Treasurer Alan Dunney and Project Chairman Padraig McManus.

Both played very different roles but played absolutely vital roles in this venture.

Alan Dunney has been treasurer of Kildare Co Board now for all of ten years, after his initial five year term he was given special dispensation from Croke Park to extend his five year term to oversee the completion of the venture, it was probably one of the best decisions coming from Headquarters, from a Kildare point of view anyway, for many a long year.

When Alan took over the 'money' portfolio with Kildare Co Board, like many other boards throughout the country, were in dire straits.

Money was scarce and that's putting it mildly but slowly but surely things were improved; loans were restructured and in the following years not only was a debt cleared but Kildare also began to set monies aside into a Croke Park fund to be held exclusively for the redevelopment of St Conleth's Park.

By the time the project got up and running that special fund had in the region of €2.5m in the account.

A monumental figure taking everything into consideration, that money was achieved through various means such as the very successful county club draw (for both clubs and county board) along with a massive increase in gate takings.

Just up the road at the Headquarters of Flat Racing at the Curragh a project, many times bigger than the re-development of St Conleth's Park, was under way, and completed, all under the watchful eye of Naas man, Padraig McManus.

The former top man in ESB, and Eir, Padraig, an avid GAA man for both his club Naas and Kildare, was asked to chair a development committee that was set up to steer the project; he accepted the challenge gladly, enthusiastically and threw himself, into it along with Tony Jones, Enda Murphy and Pat Molloy, and with the Curragh project brought to fruition McManus, in particular, and his committee turned their full attention to getting the GAA job done and dusted.

As Ger Donnelly pointed out elsewhere in this edition, the problems, the set-backs, the changes due to world happenings, were all met full on and overcome.

And now with the project complete and with no major financial worries hanging over Kildare Co. Board, these boys can all take a bow, a rest, sit back and admire what they have achieved.

All that is missing now is success on the playing field. Hopefully that will follow in the not too distant future.

Bring it on!