• What resulted in € 2.5-million training centre began when the Galway football board, under the chairmanship of Pat Egan, purchased a site at Loughgeorge early in 1998.

During that season, the Galway football team used the Monivea GAA pitch for training - and there were occasions when the local rugby club also gave the squad use of their ground.

• Galway's All-Ireland triumph that September hastened the fundraising initiative. The first £10,000 laid down as a deposit was raised by the Dublin/Kildare branch of the Galway Supporters Club.

• Two floodlit training fields had been developed by 2001, with two blue containers used as makeshift changing-rooms and kitchens. During that period, Galway won the 2001 senior football All-Ireland, the 2002 and 2005 under-21 All-Ireland titles and the 2007 minor All-Ireland title.

• Funding for the project was aided by the Department of the Gaeltacht. Current chairman John Joe Holloran came up with the principal design. The design for the dressing-rooms was inspired by the Newcastle United football club model. The 100ft indoor sprint track is of Olympic standard. The facility was officially opened on October 26th of last year.