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Club Infrastructure Update
- Colm Murphy
- 32 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Dundalk FC Management Committee member Joe McGuinness provided a comprehensive update on a series of ongoing and planned ground improvement works at Oriel Park at last Thursday evening’s season launch event in the Lilywhite Lounge.
Pitch Work Concludes
The first area discussed was the new pitch that has been installed by PST Sports.
“In relation to the pitch, we received a Sports Capital Grant and also received significant assistance from the Supporters Trust. Adrian Corcoran has done great work to project manage two significant projects, and the first of those has now concluded. The pitch has been tested by a FIFA-accredited testing company and it passed without any issues. They were very happy, and we received the letter confirming that on Thursday morning.”
Floodlight Update and Improvements
Next to be addressed was the ongoing floodlight replacement project, outlining both the challenges of delivering such work during winter conditions and the importance of the upgrade.
“When you consider that we are replacing lights in the middle of January, in the middle of winter and in the middle of a storm, we are inevitably going to lose days. We have lost days due to high winds, but despite that, our timing is still on schedule for a mid-February completion.”
He also outlined what supporters can expect in terms of an improved matchnight experience.
“The new floodlighting system at Oriel Park is being installed in full compliance with FIFA and UEFA standards for Premier Division and broadcast competition. With additional rows of lights on both the Main Stand and the YDC, supporters can expect a major improvement in matchnight conditions — with Dundalk FC set to be among the best-in-class for floodlighting in the League of Ireland.”
The “Non-Sexy” Stuff
With the pitch and floodlight projects nearing completion, McGuinness said focus would then move to essential infrastructure works across the ground.
“Once the pitch and the lights are done, we move on to what I would call the non-sexy stuff. Our third project has already started, which is improving the away dressing room. It’s a small piece of work, but it’s an important one. There are other areas that are ongoing to comply with the terms of our safety certification and the new regulations. This is not easy given that we are in an old building that was built in 1967, but those works will be completed.”
Drainage Works Lead to Unusual Discoveries…
McGuinness also referred to findings from a recent CCTV drainage survey carried out around the stand.
“We carried out a CCTV survey on the draining around the stand. The sewers that serve Oriel Park and the nearby shop were cleared out. That pipe now needs to be increased from a four-inch pipe to a nine-inch pipe, and that will require a two-week window without any games in Oriel Park to resolve the issue properly.”
A moment of light relief followed when McGuinness added: “The main blockages were caused by two pairs of male underpants and a mobile phone...which are available for collection behind the bar.”
Facilities and Accessibility
McGuinness also provided updates on facilities and accessibility within the ground.
“We have planning permission to build two new modular toilet blocks and we will be complying with planning as part of the grant conditions. There are also other toilet facilities around the ground that are undergoing repair. We are also moving the disability zone to an area near the home dugout. This is a temporary pilot measure — it will be marked out, we know there are a lot of different views on it, but we will run the pilot and review.”
Future Possibilities
Concluding his update, McGuinness outlined how recent improvements have opened up further possibilities for the future development of Oriel Park.
“We’ve already made good progress in tidying up the away supporters’ area, and that leaves us open to other options in the future. Once all of this work is completed, it allows us to start properly looking ahead and considering what comes next for the ground. That includes options such as terracing at the Town End, introducing more covered areas, and potentially developing a new stand at the Carrick Road end. When we have all this work done, we can then look to the future and what is next.”