A major upgrade of the floodlights at O’Neills Healy Park has started, and will be ready for the Tyrone club Championships, which start next month.
The quality of the lighting at the ground has been causing concern for some time, and is to be replaced with a high grade system.
“Come September they will be up and running, that work is going on there at the minute, and one of the early rounds of the Junior Championship is pencilled in for the opening of the lights at Healy Park,” said county chairman Martin Sludden.
A planned new floodlighting system at O’Neill Park in Dungannon will eventually provide a second ground in the county capable of staging evening Championship matches.
“With the new floodlights in Omagh, we can have Championship matches in both sides of the county,” Sludden added.
“We’re crying out for a floodlit venue in the east of Tyrone, and Dunganon being our second county ground, we’re glad to support Dungannon in putting the lights in. But it will be next October before we see that actually happen.
“The great thing about this ground is that it’s nice and tight and compact, the crowd is close and there’s plenty of noise, there’s plenty of good atmosphere.
“And that all adds to the games, generating a good atmosphere and it brings out the best in the footballers too.
“With the lights in place in Dungannon, it will leave us in a better position with replays, as Championship replays are back in this year, after the first round.”
The county chairman was in Dungannon at the weekend for the reopening of O’Neill Park, which had been closed for the past two years while undergoing a £2m redevelopment project.
“It was a great day for Dungannon Clarke’s and also a great day for Tyrone GAA, to have this pitch, changing rooms and all the facilities opened.
“When I came in as chairman of the CCC, I worked hard with John McNulty, the chairman, and we chatted about what they were doing in Dungannon.
“Now we’ll be getting the floodlights in, supported by Tyrone GAA, and that will leave Tyrone in a very good position.”