Kinvara Hockey Club is building a multi-sport, all-weather community facility on the Moy Road, Kinvara. This facility is about far more than hockey — it is a long-term investment in sport, health, inclusion, and community life across South Galway and North Clare.

While hockey remains at the heart of the project, the new pitch will be suitable for multiple sports including GAA, soccer, rugby and school sport, providing much-needed full-size, all-weather facilities for both adults and children.

The new Kinvara Hockey Club facility will:

• Support hockey, GAA, soccer, rugby and other field sports
• Be available to local schools and clubs for training and matches
• Provide full-size all-weather playing facilities for year-round use
• Include a family walking trail, biodiversity features, and heritage elements
• Create a safe, accessible community space for walkers, joggers, families and community events

The pitch will be located just off the N67 road, within walking distance of Kinvara National School and Seamount College, and easily accessible to schools and clubs throughout North Clare and South Galway. Our catchment area is vast, and demand for facilities continues to grow.

For Seamount College in particular, this facility will allow multiple teams across multiple sports to train locally on a full-size surface — eliminating excessive travel time and maximising valuable teaching and learning hours.

Thanks to incredible community support, Kinvara Hockey Club has already made significant progress:

• Secured a 7-acre site
• Site purchased (loan in place)
• Full planning permission granted for pitch development
• Biodiversity & Heritage Trail concept developed
• Phase 1 completed (2023)
• #LetsBuildIt fundraising campaign launched (February 2024)
• Community Sports Facilities Fund (CSFF): €443,700 awarded (5% match funding raised)
• Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF): €1,300,000 awarded (30% match funding still required)

This progress reflects the strength of community belief in the project.

What’s Next

2026 – Training Pitch (Training D)

Construction will begin on a smaller training pitch, made possible because the required 5% match funding has already been raised. This will:

• Reduce ongoing rental costs
• Improve scheduling flexibility
• Provide a permanent local training base for our teams

2027 – Full-Size Pitch

The planned start for the full-size pitch build is 2027, subject to raising the required 30% match funding (approximately €390,000) to draw down the second major grant.

While government grants are vital, they do not cover all project costs. Fundraising is essential to match the 30% funding requirement and to support non-grant-eligible expenses, including:

• Site loan repayments
• Access works
• Planning permission costs
• Professional and technical fees

Community fundraising ensures the project continues to move forward and remains financially sustainable.