There is renewed confidence for the new Donegal Community Stadium after a major funding allocation offered today from Donegal County Council.
The council has made a conditional offer of €500,000 to help plug the funding gap for the development.
The Department of Sport has committed €3,991,000, leaving a €1.5m gap. Donegal County Council, the FAI and Finn Harps FC have each proposed €500,000 allocations to make up the deficit.
County Councillors approved the conditional offer at today’s July Plenary meeting, at which Cllr Patrick McGowan welcomed the support of the council.
Cllr Gary Doherty said this was a “massive good news story for Donegal”.
Cllr Doherty said he could confidently say now that the Donegal Community Stadium will be built.
“Hopefully now it will see League of Ireland football secured and Premier Division secured in Donegal for the long-term future,” Cllr Doherty said.
Finn Harps FC is expecting to move into the stadium by 2024. The new-look stadium will have a capacity of 6,130, with all areas covered.
The Development Committee in Finn Harps FC has also reviewed the construction format to be used, and following significant investigation has now opted for a modular stadium build and has recently gone to the marketplace on this basis. Planning Permission for the development has been extended to October 2024.
€1.3m has already been spent on the project with the next phase costing €5.5m which includes the construction of the stadium, erecting floodlights and laying the pitch.
The council allocation has been capped and is to be sourced from the Project Development Reserve fund.
The Donegal Community Stadium will form a major part of the broader Sports Centre of Excellence which already has an adjacent athletics track, pitches and leisure centre with swimming pool. The Council is also in the process of developing a Multi-Use All Weather Playing Facility adjacent to the Finn Valley complex and the Donegal Community Stadium.
