Financial blow for Athboy Celtic as construction company faces liquidation

Athboy Celtic could be facing a major financial hit as the contractor for their all weather pitch faces liquidation.

"It is a major kick in the teeth," said chairman, Bernard O'Byrne who said while the timeline for the completion of the new facility has been disrupted, their commitment to delivering a state-of-the-art all weather facility remains as strong as ever.

Clearwater Construction has already carried out around eight weeks work on the development of a new full size all weather pitch at the club grounds but notice was given on Tuesday, 6th October that a meeting of the creditors of the company is due to be held on Friday, 23rd October. It is expected a liquidator will be appointed at that meeting.

Mr O'Byrne said Athboy Celtic had paid the contractor deposits towards the artificial grass and floodlighting. "We are now urgently working to establish the exact position regarding these funds and their intended use.

"Needless to say, we are devastated by this news, particularly following the tremendous effort and generosity shown by our players, parents, members, sponsors and the wider community in going above and beyond to raise funds for the development.""

"Unfortunately, this situation may have significant financial implications for the club.

"We are actively pursuing the matter with the assistance of our professional contacts and solicitors and will take all appropriate legal steps to protect the club’s interests and recover any monies due to us.

"The immediate impact is that our project timeline has been disrupted, but we have already made contact with alternative contractors this week, and arrangements are being made for them to visit the site imminently to assess the project, as we work to develop a path forward."

In a message to club member, Mr O'Byrne said; "It is with deep regret that I must inform you that our all-weather pitch development contractor, Clearwater Construction, appears to be experiencing serious financial difficulties and is entering a liquidation process. We first became aware of potential issues last Wednesday, 7th October and our worst concerns were confirmed this week.

"We understand that members and supporters will have questions and concerns, and we will keep you informed as matters develop and as we are in a position to share further verified information.

"If you have any questions or wish to speak with someone directly, please feel free to contact any of the club officers: Bernard, Senan or Brendan. Thank you for your continued support of Athboy Celtic."

Athboy Celtic has one full sized grass pitch and a number of small astro pitches at their grounds in what was formerly known as the cowpark. They opened their clubhouse in 2022. The club has 500 registered players and 35 teams .

Clearwater Construction & Landscaping Ltd, which trades as CWC, was based in Grangecon, Co Wicklow, and specialised in sports facilities.

The company’s financial affairs are due to be addressed at a creditors’ meeting on Friday, 23rd October, when liquidators are expected to begin winding up the firm.