Arranmore Island Community Playground was officially opened on Friday last, 5th September, by the Chairman of the Glenties Electoral Area Committee of Donegal County Council, Councillor Joe Kelly.
This play facility, situated at Fál a Ghabhann, Arranmore, will serve both the island community and visitors to the island. The facility was provided at a cost of €70,000 with funding being provided equally by An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta and Donegal County Council through it’s Development Contribution Scheme. This project is the latest in an ongoing programme of provision of infrastructure to the County’s inhabited offshore islands that is funded by the Local Authority and An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta through the Council’s Islands Committee. Although essential island infrastructure such as harbours, water supply and road networks remain a priority for the Island’s Committee a range of social infrastructure, such as children’s play facilities, have been developed through this structure in recent years, led by the Council’s Community, Culture and Enterprise Directorate.
Donegal County Mayor Cllr Gerry Crawford acknowledged the work being done by Donegal County Council in recent years in the provision of recreation and amenity facilities in conjunction with local communities. He welcomed the opportunity during his time as Mayor, to travel to Arranmore Island to attend the official opening of Arranmore playground. The Mayor congratulated the local community group Comharchumann Oileán Árainn Mhór Teo in leading out on the project and thanked in particular the Glenties Electoral Area Committee of Donegal County Council and An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta for their support to the project.
Speaking at the official opening, Noirín Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh, Manager of Comharchumann Oileán Árainn Mhór Teo expressed her satisfaction that the Island Development Co-operative were in a position to co-operate with Donegal County Council in bringing this project to fruition through the provision of a suitable site to enable this vital and essential piece of social infrastructure to be provided on Arranmore Island and also to be in a position to manage the playground on an ongoing basis.
Diarmaid Ó Mórdha, Stiúrthóir sa Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta congratulated the islanders on their foresight to apply for such a facility and expressed his satisfaction that his department and Donegal County Council were able to jointly meet the needs of the island population through this initiative.
Delivering his address at the Island Cultural Centre in advance of the official opening of the playground, Councillor Joe Kelly outlined recent international research that confirms the importance of play in a child’s physical and intellectual development and the importance of the Council’s playground development programme in providing safe venues that have high play and personal development values in local communities. The importance of an inter-agency approach to the provision of community facilities was highlighted and the role of An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta was hugely important, allowing the Council and An Roinn to co-operate and make best use of available resources in the context of the Islands Committee.
Following the blessing of the playground by Fr McInerny, the facility was officially opened by Councillor Kelly in the presence of elected representatives and the island community, including the local school children who took the opportunity to test the play equipment following the cutting of the ribbon.
Further information if required from:
Charles Sweeney
Area Manager
Community & Enterprise
Donegal County Council
Dungloe Public Services Centre