Today in Cork the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, will officially open the £830,000 Cork Regional Athletics Track. The track is set to become an important addition to the sports infrastructure of the city.
The eight-lane track, within the Cork Institute of Technology campus at Bishopstown, is intended for use not just by the huge CIT student population, but by all sporting organisations in Cork and farther afield.
The track is a perfect complement to the full-size astroturf pitch which opened at the CIT last October.
A huge success with the student body, the pitch is used as a training ground until 10 p.m. most nights and is enjoyed by a variety of interests in Cork, including soccer, GAA, rugby and hockey clubs.
The new track has been funded by the Department of Tourism, Sports and Recreation with £300,000, the rest being provided by the two local authorities in Cork as well as the CIT.
It has been designed to accommodate full international athletics meets, and next summer it will host the Cork City Sports.
The facility will be administered by the sports department of CIT and will be open to all athletics clubs in the area as well as individuals. The proposed annual membership cost will be in the region of £50.
By 2003 CIT will have some 23 acres of its campus developed for sports purposes, giving it some of the finest facilities available in any third-level institution.
The Bishopstown college has a population of 6,500 permanent and 7,000 part-time students.