New practice facility mooted for Athlone Cricket Club

Athlone Cricket Club looks set to take a step forward with the development of its own bowling and batting practice area in the town.

The council said it's prepared to offer the club a site for an outdoor, fenced-in practice facility at the Athlone Fitness Park, between the Athlone Town football stadium and Athlone Regional Sports Centre.

During a discussion at this month's meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, cricket was described as a "minority" sport, but one that was growing in popularity in Ireland.

Athlone Cricket Club, which is approaching its 50th anniversary, plays its games about 10 miles outside of the town, in Doon, county Offaly.

Cllr Frankie Keena put forward a motion at the January meeting of the Municipal District asking for the club to be "facilitated" with "a suitable site" for a cricket pitch in the Athlone area.

Travelling to and from Doon for games was "an inconvenience" for members of the club, Cllr Keena said, and they were looking to see if a cricket ground could be developed in Athlone.

The reply from council management stated that it didn't have a site to offer in Athlone that would be large enough to accommodate a cricket ground.

"Unfortunately, the council does not have any lands in the vicinity of Athlone that might be suitable, primarily because the area required is quite large (approximately four acres excluding ancillary facilities)," the local authority stated.

"The council will assist the club, as a minority sport, and is considering the possibility of facilitating a bowling and batting practice area at the Athlone Fitness Park."

Cllr John Dolan said that he and Cllr Aengus O'Rourke had been engaging with the cricket club in relation to its facilities, and the offer of a site where club members could "practice bowling in an enclosed, caged area," was appreciated.

"It is a growing sport, and I think they have between 200 and 300 members in Athlone. I know we have the Indian community here (playing cricket), but there's a lot of Irish people playing it as well," said Cllr Dolan.

Cllr O'Rourke, meanwhile, acknowledged the work done by the cricket club, saying it had come forward "very quickly" with the required specifications and drawings for the practice facility.

Council director of services, Barry Kehoe, added that the practice area would be on "a small piece of ground, probably in the area adjacent to Athlone Town stadium," and would be useful for "young people starting cricket" as well as those looking to improve at the sport.

"We have the proposed drawings that were submitted just before Christmas. We'll engage with those and see what's the best way of progressing it," Mr Kehoe added.