The newly redeveloped Glenasmole Community Centre was officially opened by the Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Alan Edge on the 24th of April, bringing to fruition a 5-year long redevelopment project led by the Glenasmole Community Association.
The Community Association reharnessing the local community spirit and voluntary efforts that had led to the construction of the original community centre building back in 1973, set out on the latest chapter of community development for the valley in January 2018 and after a series of community meetings and a community wide consultation, set their sights on achieving the vision of extending and modernising the community hall to help address the local community needs of today and into the future.
Five years on and over-coming many covid pandemic related delays, the original community hall has been transformed into a modern multi-purpose community facility, with the redevelopment works totalling a cost in the region of €1.1mill, providing a facility housing a multi-purpose community hall, community meeting room, large kitchen facilities, multi-purpose café area and an adjoining all weather multi use games area.
The costs of the redevelopment works were met from a combination of local community fundraising, support from Community Finance Ireland and the Community Association securing significant funding from a number of funding bodies, including Rural Dublin Leader, South Dublin County Council, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media through the Sports Capital Programme and the Department ofRural & Community Development through both the Connected Hubs and Community Enhancement Funds.
Speaking at the Official Opening the Mayor stated, ‘that he was hugely privileged both as Mayor but more particularly as a local Glenasmole resident to have the honour of officially opening the re-developed centre and that this ranked as the highlight of his time as Mayor of South Dublin’.
John Lee, Chairperson of the Community Association, stated that ‘Today marks a historic day for the community of Glenasmole, our new redeveloped community centre is now available for the community to use, enjoy and make the next set of local memories; all of which would not have been possible without the sheer dedication and hard work of both the local committee and the buy in and huge support received from the external funding bodies of whom we will be eternally grateful to.’
In the coming months, the community association will start to focus on phase 2 of the project, which will see the development of a community campus on lands surrounding the Community Centre, with the communication association having secured €140,000 of funding through the Council’s Have Your Say Initiative.
Pic Credit: Ben Ryan
