Minister of State for Sport, Michael Ring, was in Mullingar last Thursday to officially open the town’s new skate park.
In what was part of a tour of Mullingar and North Westmeath, the popular Mayo Fine Gael TD and Minister welcomed the new facility, which is located in the town park and built at a cost of approximately €125,000.
In welcoming Minister Ring to the town, Mullingar Town Mayor, Ken Glynn spoke of the advantages of having a skate park in the town. “In the old Mullingar Municipal District, it was decided that this was a project which was being put on the long finger for too long, and it was time to take some action. Thanks to the commitment of past Councillors and the executive of Westmeath County Council, the project has come to fruition and it was a team effort that paid off.”
Mayor Glynn spoke of the research he personally undertook for the skate park, giving the example of Minister Ring’s hometown of Westport. “When I saw the large group of young people using the skate park, it was clear Mullingar could benefit from something similar. We’re going to see a lot of young people using this facility. Not every young person is into traditional sports and music, and this is the facility for them. I hope for years to come that the young boys and girls who use it will enjoy it,” concluded Cllr. Glynn.
The CEO of Westmeath County Council, Pat Gallagher, complimented Minister Ring on the partnership that has developed between his department and Westmeath County Council.
“For anybody working in local government trying to make progress on a project such as this, working in partnership is key, and we look forward to working with you on similar developments in future years.”
MINISTER PRAISES TOWN FACILITIES
Minster Ring praised the facilities of Mullingar, and he hopes the new skate park is used on a constant basis.
“It’s great to look around and see all of the facilities in one area, from the swimming pool, tennis club and the nearby Community College. It’s brilliant to have facilities, but it’s twice as good to see the facilities used.”
Minister Ring spoke to a group of young people who were present for the official opening, “I hope you will appreciate the work and effort that was put into this project.”
Minister Ring spoke of the history of getting the skate park to Mullingar. “This was a matter which was raised as far back as when Paul McGrath was a TD!” he enthused.
Mr. Ring spoke of the challenges of getting funding for project and the importance of spending it sensibly. “It’s not easy to get funding, but when you do get it and see it well spent on projects such as this skate park, it’s worth it.”
In concluding his speech, Minister Ring spoke to the group of young people who gathered for the official opening, on the importance of sport.
“It’s not everyone that plays football, hurling or soccer, so a facility like this is great. I hope there’ll be many enjoyable days had here, like in my home town of Westport, where it’s used from dawn until dusk. As Minister for Sport, all I want to see is more young people participating in sport. An active and healthier society will be better for a country,” he concluded.
A LONG TIME COMING
Following the official opening, Ballyfermott IT student and Killucan man, Andrew Nolan welcomed the opening of the park, which he has campaigned for since he was in his early teens.
“We started the campaign ‘Mullingar needs a skatepark’ when we were in our early teens but it wasn’t until we got the County Council on board that things really started moving. Up until now, we’ve had to travel to nearby towns and cities to skate, so to have something like this on our doorstep is fantastic.”
