Dunmanway playground’s ‘proud day’

AN investment of more than €160,000 has provided Dunmanway with an impressive new playground.

The relaunch of the amenity, last Friday, was described by the chairperson of the Dunmanway Playground Redevelopment Group, Cllr Deirdre Kelly (FF) as ‘a proud day for the town.’

When the group first got together, she said they set a target of €30,000 but they quickly surpassed that figure by a further €20,000.

In addition to the €50,000 that was raised locally, €112,000 was provided by Cork County Council’s Local Action Group (LAG) to create what is now regarded as one of the finest playgrounds in all of West Cork.

In addition, Cllr Kelly said the group arranged to have the lines on the tennis court repainted and they are working on plans to extend leisure amenities throughout the town.

Independent Cllr Declan Hurley, chairperson of the West Cork LAG, recalled how a series of lockdowns interrupted progress but the facility was officially relaunched by Mayor Gillian Coughlan (FF).

‘The redevelopment had been much anticipated,’ he said, ‘because for years the old playground had fallen foul to vandalism.

‘Much of the equipment was damaged to an extent that various pieces of equipment had to be removed for safety reasons, which meant that many families had to travel to other towns.’

In recent years, Cllr Hurley said Dunmanway has enjoyed an influx of new families, which resulted in a group of enthusiastic parents coming together and undertaking a very successful fundraising drive to redevelop the outdated and rundown playground.

‘Now,’ he said, ‘we have a fantastic amenity and an investment in our children’s well-being.’