Playing pitch, community building, dog park, padel court and more proposed for Ferrybank
Proposed masterplan for the former Clover site
A masterplan for the development of a largescale community park at the former Clover Centre site in Ferrybank has been unveiled.
The 9.5 acres of land at Christendom is the site of the former Clover Meats factory. At its peak during the 1970s, the factory hired approximately 1,500 workers.
Playing fields and a clubhouse were developed at the site in 1979, paid for by voluntary contributions from the workers of Clover Meats.
Over the decades, the site hosted hurling, soccer and athletics events, factory leagues, community sporting competitions, dances and concerts.
The centre closed in 2020, and the site was formally transferred into the ownership of Kilkenny County Council on the condition that it be redeveloped into a recreational site for the community.
The lmasterplan for the site, prepared by Digby Brady Landscape Architects, has now been published.
The new community park, if approved, will consist of a multi-use playing pitch with spectator areas. The pitch will have a grass surface with the future option of being an all-weather surface. The pitch is designed for general training play, athletics, hurling/camogie, football, soccer and hockey.
Also included in the plans is an enclosed dog park for owner-supervised ‘off the lead’ dog exercise.
A community use building at the site will consist of meeting rooms, changing rooms and public toilets on the ground floor, with future development floorspace at the first floor level.
A padel court and ball wall to be operated by the community and a walking/jogging path around the pitch are also in the plans.
The green areas around the perimeter of the site will be maintained as biodiversity meadows.
A new vehicle entrance is proposed, as well as a pedestrian bridge to provide connectivity across a stream.
A portal for public submission has been opened on the Kilkenny County Council website, and a third consultation evening will be arranged in the coming weeks.
The development of the site has been subject to multiple public consultation meetings in the past year.
Following these meetings, initial plans presented to the public have been drastically redesigned.
Original plans did not include a full sized playing pitch, much to the dismay of local schools and sports clubs who say that there is a dire need for new pitches in the area.
To facilitate the inclusion of the pitch, items contained in original plans have been removed. These include a biodiversity pond, play area, multi-use games area, quiet corner, exercise equipment zone and outdoor performance structure (bandstand).
(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)
