Ireland’s fastest growing GAA Club, St. Brigid’s GAC in South Belfast, has received planning permission and funding of £750,000 to develop its Musgrave Park site.

Established in 1998, the club has grown significantly to become one of the biggest GAA clubs in Ulster with 870 members, fielding 16 teams across juvenile and senior, football, hurling and camogie.

St. Brigid’s which has a unique ground sharing relationship with Harlequins Rugby club, is being funded by Belfast City Council (BCC), Ulster GAA with the Club itself also raising £200K.  It also confirmed that it has secured a new Club sponsor, McGrady Insurance, which will provide financial support to St. Brigid’s over the next five years.

According to Chairman Dermot Dowling the development of Musgrave is crucial to the on– going development of the Club, commenting, he said, “The news that we have received planning permission and a commitment to funding from Belfast City Council (BCC) and the GAA for our Musgrave site is great news for our Club.  With confirmation that we will be provided state of the art changing rooms, a pitch extension and floodlighting at our facilities at Stockman’s lane as well as a new sponsor in McGrady Insurance, we can forge ahead with growing our club and providing the opportunity for teams to compete across all juvenile and senior sections.

“We have had a magnificent response from the people of South Belfast since we established the Club 16 years ago with our teams competing at the highest level within Antrim GAA and from our inception, the welfare of the youth of the local community became the foundation upon which Saint Brigid’s GAC has been built.

“Key to this has been very positive working relationships with schools across South Belfast including St. Bride’s PS, Stranmillis PS and St. Anne’s PS working closely with them to provide the opportunity for pupils to enjoy sport in safe and secure environments.   The development at Musgrave will support those credentials and we would like to recognsie and thank the role that both the Belfast City Council and the Ulster GAA Council has played in supporting our continued development.

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