Open day showcases €21m project and construction industry opportunities

Plans for the new era of Páirc Tailteann were proudly displayed to members of the Meath community last week, as the development of a larger, and much improved, €21million stand is set to mark a new beginning for sport in the Royal County.

The 5,000 seater stand overlooked by LED floodlights and a more modern visiting experience is what Sisk, the construction company leading the charge for ground improvements, outlined at an information day at Navan O’Mahony’s GAA club.

The open day had two purposes; first, was to give insight into their project by laying out the development plans for the home of Meath GAA. The other, aimed to give aspiring engineers an insight into what careers in the industry look like, and how they might get there, as Sisk were joined by contractors JJ Duffy, Trimplant, and King & Moffat, who are all key pieces in the Páirc Tailteann jigsaw.

The multi-million euro mission is generating plenty of countywide excitement, as Meath GAA Chairman Jason Plunkett spoke enthusiastically at the event. “It’s a great day. It’s great to see all of the school kids come down, they're excited. They hope some day they can play in that ground.”

The addition of floodlights and the possibility of evening games is also a key point of anticipation, Plunkett added. “Nightlife in Navan, and hotels from Trim to Slane, can all benefit from the project. We hope to have all of our night games here. Meath teams are on the up, men’s and women’s football, hurling, and camogie. We hope to have some big games ahead in Navan.”

Former Co Board member Paddy Ward added to Plunkett’s comments; “It's going to be a stadium that we'll be proud of,” as he highlighted changes such as improved seating, safer steps, and a modern feel to the stand. “I hope we get a lot more county games in it in the future, and it'll probably bring a lot more business around Navan as well.”

Sisk’s recruitment manager and Meath local Rachel Browne also expressed her, and the construction company’s, excitement for the project during the event. “I’m a Meath mother, Meath woman, and Meath supporter, staunchly proud. It's a fantastic thing for the county. It's a really great opportunity for us to build upon what we've been doing - what Jason Plunkett has been doing. It’s incredible to have a fantastic place to support our local teams and our county team. It's great to see that everybody really believes that this investment is worth it, because we are worth it.”

Among those at the event in O’Mahony’s GAA club were sixth year students from St Patrick's Classical School, Navan. The students were accompanied by Mark Donnelly, a counsellor at the secondary school.

“A lot of these lads are looking at careers and engineering through degrees or apprenticeships, so they're really excited about it.” Donnelly said. “To see first hand what the project is, and to talk to people involved with Sisk, it's a great experience for them to see what they’d be doing with this kind of career.”