Tyrone’s two pre-eminent figures in the worlds of politics and GAA came together in Ulster’s highest village yesterday for the opening of new community facilities in Pomeroy.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill and All-Ireland winning captain Peter Canavan helped cut the ribbon on the £1.6m Áras na Pluncéidí in the grounds of Pomeroy Plunketts GAC, situated alongside a new community centre and walking track that represents an investment of more than £3.5m on the site.
The building includes changing rooms as well as a community gym and is part of a wider £7.1m ‘Connecting Pomeroy’ scheme funded by the EU’s Peace IV programme that has transformed the village with a new Church of Ireland hall, sporting facilities at its Presbyterian Church, improvements to pavements and streets, as well as a £3m visitor centre and enchanted trail being constructed in Pomeroy Forest.
Ms O’Neill said the Plunketts building, part-funded by the community with the Special EU Programme Board and Mid Ulster District Council, was one of the finest examples of club facilities anywhere in Ireland and highlighted everything good about the GAA.
Meanwhile, asked about the prospects for Casement Park in light of an Irish government pledge of €50m this week but a significant funding gap still to be met, Ms O’Neill said: “Casement Park will be built. It’s a huge project. It’s going to mean so much to Ulster Gaels, but even wider than that, now that it’s part of the actual bid for the Euros, I think we’ve now got that impetus for everybody to get involved and actually make it happen.
“We had the good news this week from the Irish government in terms of their contribution, we need the British government to do likewise, and then let’s just get on with it and get it built.”