The need for and the purpose of athletics specific facility in the West Waterford Area

The purpose of the aforementioned Track Development Sub-committee is to support West Waterford A.C to develop an athletics track with a club house that will be the home of athletics and running in Dungarvan and West Waterford. In doing this, all members of athletic and triathlon clubs in the West Waterford region, both Juveniles and Adults, will have an inclusive, universally accessible and safe place to train, with high quality facilities and social opportunities. This will enable them to perform at their maximum potential, representing their chosen club in all track and field events and all related disciplines in athletics and triathlon championships from local to international level if they choose to do so. Currently, our nearest track is 45 km away in Waterford City. Enquiries have been made on multiple occasions and we have been informed that there are no available slots for West Waterford athletics clubs to train there. The track is continually fully booked by groups for all weekend and evening slots. It is imperative that those participating in running and athletics in West Waterford have access not just to a properly designed running track but to toilets, changing and shower facilities before, during and after training and for competitions. These basic facilities are completely lacking for runners in the West Waterford area and are essential to ensure enjoyment of the sport for both Juveniles and Adults without barriers or concerns.

The table below shows the large numbers (over 1000 members) registered in local athletics and triathlon clubs in 2023.

	2023 Adult Members	2023 Junior Members
KCK Athletics Club	-	54
Greenway Joggers Club	36	-
West Waterford Athletics Club	309	141
Ardmore Athletics Club	-	45
Blackwater Athletics Club	4	91
Finisk Valley Athletics Club	-	144
Tried & Tested Triathlon Club	154	81
Total	503	556

The age ranges of those registered is diverse (age 7 to 80 years), illustrating how athletics and triathlon benefits all ages and stages of life. There is currently a significant focus on diversity and encouraging female participation in athletics and triathlon activities across the country and locally. For example, the gender split in Tried and Tested Triathlon Club is approx. 45/55 female to male with female participation up almost 10% since 2020.

It is not only club members that participate in club activities and of note is the West Waterford A.C Winter League which is open to anyone over the age of 16. In 2023/2024, only 27% of participants were members of the athletic club and 73% were non-members.

There were also more female participants than males as shown in the graph below.

The community benefits generated by local athletics and triathlon clubs

Access to local sports facilities is hugely beneficial to physical and mental health. Results of a large-scale systematic review in 2023 found that participation in sport (both community and elite) is related to better mental health, improved psychological well-being, lower rates of depression and anxiety and improved social outcomes (Eather et. al 2023). Regional West Waterford athletics and triathlon clubs currently run numerous local and accessible group activities, for both competitive and casual athletes. These include:

Fit for Life and Couch to 5k programmes
Mixed ability coached group sessions
Ladies only development squad
West Waterford A.C Winter League (as referenced above, 11 week running league every Wednesday night from Nov to end of Jan) - Average participation rate over 3 years post Covid was 270 per year which is a 10% increase on the average for the 9 years pre Covid.
West Waterford Summer Series Road races - 16,500 finishers over 8 races annually from 2009 to 2019
West Waterford Colligan Spring League
Tried and Tested Triathlon club weekly training sessions - discipline specific from beginners to international competition level

As is evidenced from the high numbers of Juvenile members of athletics clubs in the West Waterford region (over 550), local athletics and triathlon clubs provide an essential outlet for physical activity for children and young people. Below are some examples of youth participation in activities organised by these clubs:

The Primary School Sports provides an opportunity for 38 primary schools in the West Waterford region to experience track events in an individual and team format with local competitions culminating in a regional final
Athletics coaching sessions in local athletics and triathlon clubs
Opportunities for older more experienced Juniors to coach younger athletes
Secondary school students participating as individuals or on teams at county, provisional and national club and school competitions

There are also numerous commercial benefits to the town and surrounding area from large-scale events organised by these clubs locally. Examples include:

John Treacy 10 Mile Road Race (2827 finishers in 2024)
Greenway Half Marathon (594 finishers in 2023)
Tried and Tested Dungarvan Triathlon and Kidathlon (over 318 adult finishers in 2023)

These attract many athletes and their families from all over the country and abroad, bringing business benefits to hotels, restaurants, petrol stations and local shops in Dungarvan.

In addition, local athletics and triathlon clubs have made very significant contributions to local charities in the last ten years. Just considering 2023 alone:

West Waterford A.C events raised over €22,000 for local charities
Members of Tried and Tested Triathlon Club raised almost €17,000 for breakthrough Cancer Research through Malin to Mizen cycle and associated fundraising events

Our Ask of Waterford City and County Council:

We would very much appreciate the removal of the term "running track" from future MUGA publications, in order to avoid confusion regarding the nature of the proposed MUGA oval shaped pathway around the pitch and our athletics track development project.

We are seeking Waterford City and County Council support for our athletics track development project, including but not limited to:

Assistance with identifying potential suitable sites in the Dungarvan town area
Supporting planning applications for a standard 8 lane track facility in a suitable location
Supporting applications for sporting infrastructure funding
Providing or upgrading public infrastructure to allow access to future track location by walking or cycling (if not already in place)

In conclusion, we are encouraged by the fact that Waterford City and County Council are actively pursuing this project to provide new and additional dedicated sporting infrastructure in Dungarvan Town. We look forward to the opportunity to work closely with the Council in the coming months to progress a separate athletics track project that will adequately accommodate the needs of the West Waterford Regions’ athletic and triathlon clubs and the extended running community in the area.

Development of Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) at Ringnasilloge, Dungarvan - Submissions

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