A photo of the new main pitch at
Kingswood Farm
CLONDALKIN Rugby Club launch the official opening of their main pitch at their new grounds in Kingswood Farm on Sunday, reports James Ffrench.
The opening will coincide with the club’s annual family fun day which takes place at the start of every season.
The new state of the art pitch of international standard cost €400,000 altogether, paid for through the sale of their old grounds at Gordan Park for a figure believed to be in the region of €4 million.
Significant civil works took place to remove bedrock beneath the pitch, leaving the field level and of international dimensions.
An Allen key fence surrounds the newly developed pitch, with two dugouts also installed after being shipped in from France.
The next phase of the development plan will be to install floodlights, after the club applied for sports capital funding to help with the cost, which is believed to be in the region of €2.1 million.
Before the works started
Clondalkin Rugby club also aim to build a clubhouse overlooking the pitches, with approval for planning and site in place since 2022.
Sunday kicks off with Clondalkin’s seconds facing Longford at their old first pitch at 1:30, with a pre-match lunch taking place prior to the ribbon being cut at the new main pitch at two o’clock.
Clondalkin’s firsts and Longford will be the first two sides to do battle on the new field, with various activities for families taking place on the day also.
The president of the IRFU Declan Madden, Leinster Rugby president Declan Gardner and Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail Emer Higgins will all be present at the launch, along with Ireland and Leinster rugby player James Lowe.
Clondalkin Rugby club now has over 700 members, three men’s teams and two women’s teams, along with underage sides from U12 right up to U18.5.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Clondalkin Rugby Club chairman Tom Duffy said: “It will have a massive impact for our club but it will also be huge for developing rugby in west Dublin.”
