English GAA club’s future under siege by dual carriageway

Warwickshire GAA are used to fighting battles on the pitch, but now they are having to fight a huge one off it.

Highways England promised the thriving GAA club that they would relocate them in order to make way for a new relief road near Birmingham airport, but have now seemingly back tracked on that promise leaving the future of the club's grounds in doubt. Pairc na hEireann is a cultural hotbed for the Irish community in the area and is an excellent example of sport, culture and heritage being brought together in harmony. Something that means a lot to the vast amount of Irish people who for one reason or another are forced to live abroad. The proposed changes designed by Highways England with regards to the M42 Junction 6 Improvement scheme seriously threaten the harmony of Pairc na hEireann and Warwickshire GAA according to officials. The club fear that these changes will severely damage Pairc na hEireann, as well as its stakeholders and ultimately Gaelic Games in the area which is already a minority sport. 26 clubs as well as the Warwickshire inter-county side will be severely effected if the move goes through, ultimately it could prove fatal for GAA in the area. The Warwickshire GAA community currently houses the highest number of non-Irish born adults playing, football, hurling, ladies football and camogie competitively in the UK. This is a direct result of the tireless work that has gone on to keep Gaelic Games alive in the area, and Pairc na hEireann’s environment and accessibility are key to the sustainability of this. The club feel strongly that the new proposals will impact negatively on both the environment and the accessibility of Pairc na hEireann. If the proposed changes are to go through the club fear that;

• With three full size pitches; the new proposals see a 2000 car-per-hour, four lane dual carriage within five metres of pitch one, (our main County pitch), pitch two will be covered in concrete and pitch three will be reduced to a juvenile training pitch.
• The new proposals will mean an increase in noise and air pollution from the close proximity of pitches to the dual carriageway.  This will have a negative impact on the hearing, lungs and performance of all users and visitors to Pairc na hEireann.  This is especially concerning for the hundreds of juvenile players using the ground each week.
•  The hugely important monument to deceased members, currently symbolically situated at the highest point on our facility, will have to be re-sited.
• Competitive hurling games will be played on pitch one; with sliothars travelling at over 150km/h (93 mph) and over 110m (361ft), the close proximity of pitch one to the dual carriageway under the new proposals, presents a major health and safety concern.
•  No thought to the current safety features of our site with our nearest pitch being placed 30 metres away from the B road.
• Land adjacent to Pairc na hEireann is unsuitable; o Underneath Birmingham Airport flight path (to the north) o Disused landfill site, completed before safe dumping regulations were in place (to the west) o Underground oil pipeline of national infrastructural importance serving Birmingham Airport (to the south).

Officials and Trustees from the Warwickshire County Board believe the only viable solution to preserve the sporting facilities, heritage, cultural fabric and harmony of Pairc na hEireann is a well-executed, relocation of the grounds. With all of this in mind, the Warwickshire GAA communtiy have now set-up a petition to have the current plans reconstructed, and are hoping to write to the Secretary of State for Transportation to outline their fears and concerns and seek reassurance that Warwickshire's minority sport, which incorporates a wealth of history, culture and heritage can be protected. The county board need 7,500 signatures and you can sign the petition here.