Public meeting: Pitches, sports complex and swimming pool discussed for Ferrybank's Clover Meats site
The former Clover Meats site in Ferrybank.
The public engaged in consultation last week regarding the future usage of the long vacant Clover Meats site in Ferrybank.
The site was acquired by Kilkenny County Council in 2023, who are now in the process of transforming it into a community park. The project has commenced to the public consultation stages.
The goal is for the development to progress to Part 8 planning in the latter stages of the year, with aspects of the development possibly commencing next year.
The first public consultation drew large crowds to the Ferrybank Primary Care Centre last week.
JJ Digby, Landscape Architect with Digby Brady, discussed the hopes and concerns of locals.
Attendees called for playing pitches, a sports complex, community hall, swimming pool and more to be considered.
At present, the nine-acre Clover Meats site comprises of little more than an existing clubhouse, which has significant issues due to years of neglect and vandalism.
Mr. Digby noted that the building is poorly located, has large structural flaws, an asbestos roof and no insulation. To bring the building up to modern standards would make "no financial sense", he said.
The addition of parking to the site will also be a "key consideration" as there is currently little to none available.
Access to the site is limited due to poor sightlines.
The dire need for playing pitches in the Ferrybank area was agreed upon at the meeting by representatives from local sports clubs and schools.
Principal of Abbey Community College, Michelle Jefford, said on the night: “We provide secondary education to more than 1,000 students from the Ferrybank and South Kilkenny area and are positioned in the heart of the community. The school faces challenges due to the lack of a playing surface and the limited space for development on our own grounds.
“In the future development of the Clover Meats site, we aspire to have access to a maximum size playing surface with a capacity to host Gaelic games and to facilitate the sporting activities of our student population."
Representatives from local sports clubs made similar representations.
Nicky Heffernan of Ferrybank GAA club said: “There is a continued increase in participation, particularly in female sport, which puts additional pressure on pitches, so we would be looking for playing pitches put into the site to facilitate this.”
Locals said that there is demand for both soccer and GAA pitches, but that there is no major need for rugby pitches in the Ferrybank area.
Mr. Digby responded: “I’m sure we will end up with playing pitches on the site somewhere because there’s so much demand for it."
He also noted that due to the intensity of the demand, that all-weather pitches would make sense.
Another widely supported proposal on the night was for a sports complex and community hall to be constructed on the site.
There is "nothing of the sort" currently available in Ferrybank one local said, whilst a former Clover worker said that there are many students in the area who need additional sporting facilities. Mr. Digby noted that Clover trustees would like the site to be used for a sports complex as well as for pitches.
One local mother pointed out that there is "huge need" for a multi-sport complex in the area.
Regarding a community hall, locals asked to ensure it was sizable and flexible to facilitate multiple uses and generations.
Some asked for meeting rooms to be incorporated for use by clubs, societies and businesses, and others said that a stage to facilitate the arts community should be implemented.
There was discussion at the meeting regarding the necessity for a swimming pool in the area.
Damien Donoghue, who ran in the Piltown constituency for Fine Gael in last year’s local elections, said that at present schools in the area have to travel elsewhere to use pools.
He also said that a pool at the Clover site could facilitate older populations and people with disabilities.
Also offering opinion on the potential for a pool, was Carlow-Kilkenny TD Natasha Newsome Drennan (SF).
Ms. Newsome Drennan said that a pool would be too difficult to maintain.
“Kilkenny County Council have their swimming pool in Kilkenny and it’s very hard to run it. It’s a massive struggle, you have a huge amount of staff. It's a completely different ballgame. It’s a business in itself.
“It’s going to be a massive undertaking for Kilkenny County Council to do something like that here. It would be a struggle and the one in Kilkenny already has massive issues."
The site has been noted as being of ecological value, with one attendee saying that developers should be cognisant of this.
Another, who worked at Clover for 21 years, said that a garden which was formerly at the site should be brought back into use.
He said: “There was a lovely garden we used to have there. It’s important because we’re at danger of losing our pollinators. What I’m asking is that relocating that garden should be incorporated into the plan.”
Other suggestions included incorporating different sporting activities into the site, such as a skatepark and a walking track.
One person suggested developing the entire site into a graveyard.
