Letterkenny Athletics Club has bought the landmark house, Breffni Villa, at Sallaghagrane for the purpose of developing its own clubhouse.
The club, which had been resident at a site close to Letterkenny Community Centre on the Pearse Road from 1980 to 2008, confirmed the purchase in a message to its members on Tuesday.
Speaking about the move, Letterkenny AC Chairman, Raymond Birch, said: “After many years at Pearse Road, the club relocated to the Aura Leisure Centre in 2008. We’ve been based at the Danny McDaid Track since then and it’s a move that has worked out extremely well.
“The long-term plan was always to build our own clubhouse as close to the track as we could. Many options were examined over the years.
“When Breffni Villa came on the market last year, the club decided to place a bid on the property after getting the go-ahead from the members. Thankfully, our bid was accepted, and the sale was closed off this week.”
“The house and site are just behind the carpark at Aura on the O’Donnell Park side and the next task for the club now is to get a development plan in place. We are well looked after within the Aura Leisure Centre, and when we have the new clubhouse completed, we will once again have a building we can point to and call it our home,” Mr. Birch added.
“Letterkenny AC celebrated its 50th anniversary at the end of 2022 and so many people have represented and served the club with honour and distinction over those 52 years. Those who have come before us have handed on a legacy we are extremely proud of and it’s the aim of the club now to keep carrying on that great work,” he commented.
“The club continues to grow and prosper and continues to attract new faces. We have a membership of over 500 – 350 juveniles and 160 seniors – and are the currently the biggest athletic club in the county. Our juvenile athletes, under an excellent team of coaches, continue to compete at various disciplines and enjoy being part of the club.
“The adult side of the club has never been stronger. Our senior and masters’ athletes continue to compete and succeed at the top levels, while the Fit4Life group, which started just over year ago, has been a phenomenal success. It has given people of all ages and abilities a pathway into Letterkenny AC and the reaction to it has been so positive,” the chairman added.
Thanking the local businesses, groups, organisations, individuals, public representatives, and sponsors who have helped Letterkenny AC down the years, the chairman went on: “Letterkenny AC has always been so well supported and that is something all associated with the club are most grateful for.”
“It’s an exciting time for the club as we embark on the development of a new clubhouse and I hope we will once again have the support of the community,” he said.
