Cork City FC in talks to initiate long-term plan for training facility for adult and underage teams

Cork City FC officials met with the Minister for Finance Michael McGrath this week in Dublin in a bid to initiate a long-term plan for a training facility for their adult and underage teams.

Since the FAI confirmed on May 10 that plans for an €11 million centre of excellence in Glanmire had been scrapped, Cork City FC have been "proactively" trying to source new locations and develop new partnerships for a training facility to cater for their growing number of teams.

In 2015, the FAI reached an agreement with Cork County Council on land for the development of a Centre of Excellence in Glanmire.

The agreement provided for a 99-year lease on a 30-acre site at Brook Lodge in Glanmire.

The project was supposed to include training facilities for Cork City, as well as pitches for their underage teams.

Dermot Usher, owner of Cork City FC said he is trying to get a home for the club. 

“Glanmire won’t be happening. There needs to be an alternative location and that is part of the conversation that is ongoing at the moment," he explained.

"This is because of the Glanmire project being shelved. I am trying to proactively get a home for Cork City Football Club. 

"We are currently operating out of seven different locations throughout the year. We use a rugby facility for our junior academy. We run Corky kids camps which are reaching 1,500 to 2,000 players that are connected with the club during the year. We want a home,” he added.

Mr Usher said the meeting between the Cork City officials and Minister McGrath was very ‘positive’. “Minister McGrath facilitated the meeting. Eanna Buckley, Liam Kearney, Paul Byrne and I represented the club. The Minister of State for Sport Thomas Byrne dialed in. It was a very positive meeting. Cork City needs a home and a base with longevity. That is what we are looking for and that is what we feel we will get out of it. The two ministers are very much on board," he added. 

“We are very happy with how the meeting went. There was a lot of positivity. The instruction from Minister Byrne was that we need to get this done now. My role is to drive this whole project. There are several people on board, and we would be hopeful we can get this over the line. This is the legacy for me to make sure that the club has a state of the art academy for now and into the future,” he stated further. 

“The club will now put our plan together,” said Mr Usher. “There is a commitment there from the government with regards to the funding element of it because of the Glanmire project. We now need to put a quick document together and get it costed and sized up. 

"The academy is only going to keep growing. We have senior teams, ladies’ teams and underage teams. 

"It will also allow us to host international underage tournaments. It would help the club and Cork city as a destination. 

"We will be going back to the government with our proposal, who we would like to partner up with and see how we can get this across the line.” Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said they held a ‘good’ discussion about the development plans. 

“We had a very good discussion about the club’s future development plans and about the academy structure. There is immense talent in underage boys and girls’ football in Ireland and we have to do all we can to nurture and develop it.”