The Donegal Community Stadium is a stalled construction project in Stranorlar, Ireland.[1] The stadium was initially intended to have a capacity of 6,600 spectators, and proposed as an association football venue to replace Finn Park as the home stadium of Finn Harps F.C. Planning permission was granted in June 2007,[2] and ground breaking was started in May 2008. After intermediate delays, work recommenced in late 2011 with foundations in place.[3][4] The project was again delayed in October 2012,[5] with "minimal work" undertaken between 2014 and 2024, pending additional funding.[6][7] In April 2021, a "provisional allocation" of government funding was reportedly announced.[8] By May 2022, the development plans were further revised and scaled-back to account for inflation and the increased cost of building works and materials.[9] While this scaled-back proposal was reportedly given the "green light" in August 2022,[10] a "revised 5,500-capacity stadium" was still pending funding as of February 2024.[6] An updated planning submission, with yet further changes, was lodged in December 2024.[11]
 Artist's impression | |
 | |
| Location | Railway Road, Stranorlar, Republic of Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 54°48′03″N 7°46′07″W / 54.80083°N 7.76861°W |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2008 |
| Tenants | |
| Finn Harps FC (planned) | |
History
edit
Initial proposal (2007)
editInitial drawings had the stadium planned as a 7,000 seater stadium, but these were subsequently revised to a planned 6,600 all-seat stadium. While planning permission was granted in 2007 and ground was broken in 2008, it wasn't until 2014 that significant building work was undertaken on site. Some of these delays were due to financial reasons, as a decline in property values meant that the new stadium was more dependent on state funding.[5]
Updated plans (2017)
editFollowing Finn Harps 2017 AGM in May 2017,[12] Finn Harps announced that following a stall in progress, revised plans would be launched in summer 2017. The expected capacity of this updated proposal was projected to be between 5,500-6,000 with a seated capacity consisting of a main stand with 1,954 seats and another seated stand opposite that seating between 2,000-2,500, combined with terraced ends totaling an extra standing capacity of 1,500.[13]
At the start of July 2018, the Department of Sport announced a €304,000 grant towards the relaunch, redraw of plans, and fees towards the restart of the stadium build in Stranorlar.[14]
By May 2020, the project (which had reputedly seen "virtually no work carried out" since 2014) had stalled, pending a proposed investment of €6.7 million in state funding.[15] While this situation had not changed as of September 2020,[16] in April 2021 the government announced a "provisional allocation" of €3.99m for the development.[8]
Revised plans (2022)
editIn May 2022, owing to the rapid increase in the cost of supplies and demand on the construction industry, Finn Harps released further revised plans for a 6,130 capacity ground on the site. These revised plans included a West Stand of 1,930 seats in (as of May 2022) a partially built structure. Together with a proposed East Stand of 1,400 seats, the total seating capacity of this plan would be 3,330 along both touchlines. The plan proposed the development of terracing at the two ends of the ground, each with a capacity of 1,400. The May 2022 plan proposed that all four sides of the ground would be covered and that a new pitch would be laid. These revised 2022 plans were protected to cost in the region of €8 million.[9] During August 2022, the Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht reportedly gave the "green light" to this updated proposal.[10]
As of early 2024, the development of a "[further] revised 5500-capacity stadium" was costed at €7.3 million, with funding from FAI grants, government grants, Donegal County Council and the Western Development Council being matched and supplemented with up to €1.2 million from the club.[6] As of February 2024, "minimal on-site work" had occurred since 2014.[6]
Further plans (late 2024)
editIn December 2024, Finn Harps and Carr Architects lodged a new planning submission for the stadium project. This updated proposal covered a potential capacity of 5,580.[11] The revised submission still proposes that four stands would surround the field, with terracing at both ends of the ground.[11] An announcement on the Finn Harps website compared the proposed design with Salford City's ground at Moor Lane.[17]
References
edit- ^ "At long last Finn Harps have grounds for optimism beyond the pitch". Irish Examiner. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Permission granted for Harps stadium". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ "Work to start on Harps stadium". One Stop News Stand. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012.
- ^ "Harps to turn sod on new stadium". Eleven-a-side.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Scanlon, Cronan (19 October 2012). "Lack of funding delays Harps stadium". Donegal News. North-West News Group. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d "No stadium, no club - Crunch time for Finn Harps". Irish Examiner. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Funding crisis for Finn Harps' long-planned new stadium". irishnews.com. Irish News. 21 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Press Release - Provisional allocation of €3.991m for Finn Harps stadium". gov.ie. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Donegal Community Stadium Update May 2022". finnharps.ie. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Harps Welcome Stadium Green Light- Time to Bring It Home!". highlandradio.com. 5 August 2022.
- ^ a b c McNulty, Chris (10 December 2024). "Renewed hope for Finn Harps stadium move as fresh planning application lodged". www.donegallive.ie. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "AGM 2017". finnharps.com.[dead link]
- ^ "Paul McLoone to co-ordinate new Harps stadium project". donegaldemocrat.ie. Donegal Democrat. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ "Finn Harps welcome funding for new stadium". rte.ie. RTÉ. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ "New ground can kick-start bright, new era for Finn Harps". irishnews.com. Irish News. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ "Government urged to release funding for Finn Harps stadium". highlandradio.com. Highland Radio. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
Work on the project has effectively been stalled since 2014
- ^ McNelis, Aidan (30 April 2024). "It Starts With Us – Finn Harps outline new stadium project plans at positive open meeting - Finn Harps FC Official Website". finnharps.ie. Retrieved 19 December 2024.