FAI's Cork 'centre of excellence' site signed over to Riverstown FC

An agreement has been signed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to lease to Riverstown FC a site once set aside for a centre of excellence. Riverstown will develop its home there.

The club is also working with Cork County Council towards the additional development of a multi-sport facility on the Brooklodge site.

The matter was raised recently in response to a query from Cork North Central Fine Gael TD Colm Burke in the Dáil regarding the site.

Responding to the motion, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “My understanding is that a local soccer club, Riverstown FC, is on the cusp of entering a lease agreement, and the council will go out to public consultation on all of it to engage with all of the interested parties, in terms of the utilisation of the land.”

In July 2015, Cork County Council agreed to lease land at Brooklodge, Glanmire, to the FAI for a centre of excellence in Munster.

However, in May 2023 the FAI notified the council that it would not be proceeding with the project, because of financial difficulty.

Commenting on the latest proposal and plans for the Booklodge site, a Riverstown FC spokesperson told The Echo: “The development of a home has been something the club has been chasing for many years, and there has been a huge amount of work and commitment done to get us this far.

“We now need additional support from our members, in terms of work and fundraising, to bring the development to completion.

“It will allow our growing club, which has circa 900 members, to finally train and play in one facility and, over time, it will help our parents and players to reduce the cost of sport, making it more available and affordable for everyone in our community.”