Saturday, March 31, 2012

GAA club appeals to Church for land

A Kerry GAA club which failed in its bid to secure church lands to develop community and sporting facilities has made a further appeal to diocesan authorities and to the parish to reconsider a decision to sell to the highest bidder.

Such is the close history between the GAA and the church in the locality that Kilgarvan GAA crest bears a large image of the local church building.

A local presbytery and its surrounding lands were sold to a local man for €258,000 — almost €30,000 above the asking price.

The GAA club had offered €205,000, having previously bid €50,000, solely for the nine acres, to expand its facilities. 

However, the club is hoping the deal may not be fully signed off due to the normal lengthy legal process of land transfer.

In a last-ditch effort, the club yesterday made a direct appeal to the Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, as well as the parish priest of Kilgarvan, Fr Donal O’Neill, and the St Brendan’s Trust, which handled the sale.

The statement from club chairman Tom Randles, urged the church bodies "not to leave down the youth of the parish".