Mr. Michael Dowling:

I thank the committee for the invitation to be here today. My name is Michael Dowling. I am the outgoing chairman of Home Farm FC, and with me today is Mr. Eamonn Mahon, our club secretary. We have both been involved with Home Farm for many years, in my case since I was a child. Before discussing MetroLink, on behalf of Home Farm I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to our neighbours Na Fianna on the recent passing of their club secretary, Ms Deirdre Lambe. We also extend sincere sympathies to Deirdre’s family on their very sad loss.

Plans for the MetroLink project were published on the 22 March by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII. I should put on record at this point that we in Home Farm recognise the importance and the benefits attaching to the MetroLink project as the Government seeks to develop and improve public transport in the city. However, the plans as published have serious implications for our club and for Na Fianna, which have been well documented in recent weeks. Under the proposals, Home Farm’s grounds at St. Mobhi Road will be unavailable to the club for a period of approximately seven years, commencing in 2020. This is on the assumption that the project proceeds as planned, with St. Mobhi Road as a main tunnelling and boring base and with a station.

Home Farm FC has been an integral part of the north Dublin community since its foundation in 1928, some 90 years ago. It provides football for over 500 players, ranging from four years of age to adults. We also run a Saturday morning academy for young players who are starting out in the game. The club is run by volunteers who give of their time day in, day out. The club has had a base in St. Mobhi Road for more than 50 years. The grounds were acquired by one of our founding members, the late Brendan Menton Snr., by arrangement with the Department of Defence which was based at the time in St. Mobhi Road. Our main base is on the Swords Road in Whitehall.

Thousands of former players, including many Irish internationals, will have fond memories of their early playing days in St. Mobhi Road. The pitch in St. Mobhi Road, which is part of a private and enclosed ground, is played on by teenage schoolboy and schoolgirl teams. It is used on Saturdays and Sundays and for midweek games. It is also regularly made available for cup finals and for representative matches. It is of an extremely high quality and widely acknowledged as such. The club has invested significant resources in the development and maintenance of the playing surface and ancillary facilities. Home Farm FC has been assured by TII that suitable alternative arrangements will be made available as a priority to relocate our teams for the duration of the project, if it proceeds as planned. It recognises the level of disruption involved and has indicated its commitment to addressing this in any proposals to be tabled. Clearly, and at a minimum, whatever alternative facilities are proposed must be of a comparable high standard, they must be local and must be in place by the end of 2019. The club has commenced discussions with TII to hear its proposals in this regard. We will also be making a formal submission to TII with regard to the project.

We are very conscious of the particular impact which the project will have on our neighbours, Na Fianna, as St. Mobhi Road is their main base. We have indicated to Na Fianna and to TII that if we can play our part in helping to reduce in some way the level of impact and disruption for Na Fianna by way of modification of the plans we would open to hearing such proposals.

The sporting and recreational needs of the boys and girls who represent the club are of paramount importance to Home Farm FC and it is their interest and need that we place in the forefront in our negotiations with the authorities regarding this project.