Home | Cairde Cinn Mhara

Kinvara GAA & Camogie
Clubs Development Project

Building the Future
In 2021, we conducted a feasibility study on our local facilities. With Kinvara’s population rising rapidly, it was clear: our community needed more. In 2022, we launched a phased masterplan to transform our club infrastructure. Thanks to dedicated efforts, much of that vision is already taking shape—guided by a strong funding model and responsible project management.

Kinvara may be small, but it’s growing fast. In the last five years, new housing has brought a surge of young families to the area. A 2021 study projected a 38% rise in service users by 2026—and three major housing developments are still underway. Our facilities must grow with us.

To lead this progress, we established a Development Committee in 2022. Our goal: deliver modern, inclusive spaces that meet the needs of current members and support future generations. Our existing grounds are no longer enough. A new, state-of-the-art community facility is on the way.

Who We Are

Cairde Cinn Mhara is the driving force behind Kinvara GAA’s development. We’re committed to building a brighter future for our club and our community.

We believe that GAA belongs at the heart of Kinvara life—and our facilities should reflect that. We’re building for the future, and for everyone.

Our Mission

At Cairde Cinn Mhara, we work to expand and modernise Kinvara GAA’s facilities—making them welcoming, accessible, and future-ready. As our community grows, we’re ensuring the club grows with it.

Get Involved

Our progress depends on you. Community support powers everything we do. Whether it’s time, ideas, or contributions
- your support matters.

Update on Progress

Phase 1 - Astro & Wall Ball (Completed November 2023)

Kinvara GAA Development, through Cairde Cinn Mhara, has successfully completed the development of our AstroTurf facility. This was officially opened in early January 2024, marking the completion of Phase 1. The facility is now fully operational and in use daily.

To cover the total costs and repayments, we need to commercialize the facility over the coming months and years. In the meantime, we invite you to explore our grounds.

For bookings, please contact the club or through the following link:

https://portal.sportskey.com/venues/kinvara-gaa-club

Phase 2 - Floodlights to Main Pitch (2025)

Our goal is to provide floodlighting for the new pitch. To achieve this, we are relying on upcoming grant applications and will need grant aid to make it possible. Estimated cost of this project is €180k. The club applied for the Sports Capital Grant and were successful to the amount of €66,757. The remainder of the finance will be funded via the fundraising and sponsorship efforts

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Phase 3 - Clubhouse/Gym/Wellness Centre (2025/2026)

Our most ambitious development so far. Planning permission for this has been recently granted on the 24th September 2024 for this incredible project.

(Planning reference: 24/60306)

It will be key in providing a hub for public service needs in our expanding community. There is currently no recreational or business site within Kinvara that provides these facilities which are desperately lacking for our community. This is a very ambitious but achievable part of our project that will have a huge impact on the whole community.

The ground floor of our new clubhouse will be a multipurpose space with designated male and female dressing rooms, accessible to all, including local clubs, schools, and community groups. Upstairs, we will have a state-of-the-art gym and a comfortable viewing area for older members.

The new Health and Wellness Centre will be environmentally friendly and fully sustainable with eco-conscious elements such as solar panels, energy efficient lighting and heating, water refill stations as well as encouraging visitors to explore other modes of transport supported by new bicycle stands and encouraging members to carpool. The club is committed to a green ethos by collaborating with Kinvara Tidy Towns to develop a biodiversity trail which is currently ongoing. A ‘Green team’ has also been created to start the clubs exciting journey to obtain its ‘Green Club’ status while working proactively within the development plans for a sustainable future

The whole community benefits of this project are detailed below and this list is not exhaustive:

Refurbishment of the current clubhouse which is not meeting service needs. It needs complete renovating to make it a useable space equally for all genders. The community will massively benefit from this project providing realistic and modern changing and sanitary facilities.

Remote working hub to provide the community with improved work life balances. It will also promote economic growth within Kinvara encouraging people to ‘shop local’, decrease commutes and congestion within Galway City or surrounding areas having a positive climate effect. There is no current meeting space available in the village other than Pubs and Cafes which are not appropriate for community meeting spaces.
State of the art gym that is open to all members of the community promoting health benefits. The closest gyms are on average 20km from Kinvara and the majority are hotel private gyms with extremely high fees making them unachievable for many people. Access to onsite strength and conditioning sessions for individuals is a well- established component for physical and mental health. The gym will be crucial for allsports groups in the community.
Meeting room space for all community groups to encourage social interactions on a wide range of subjects.
An indoor space for our ‘GAA All Stars’ to train if required to maintain health and well-being benefits. Currently if weather is poor, sessions need to be cancelled due to the adverse environmental effect on possible immune-compromised members.
Extension of amenities available to groups such as Brothers of Charity and Stewart Care. Expansion of these services to also include outreach and exercise programmes within community groups that do not have access to these resources currently.

Project Timeline: 2025–2026

Throughout 2025, we aim to move into the active construction phase of the development. Key project components—such as clubhouse construction, lighting installation, and fitout planning—will progress in stages as funding and approvals allow.

Early to Mid-2025:
Preparatory works, contractor appointments, and tender processes for major packages, including the new clubhouse and pitch lighting.
Mid to Late 2025:
Construction of the new clubhouse is expected to begin, alongside civil works and installation phases for upgraded pitch lighting which is targeted for completion before winter.
Late 2025 to 2026:
Continued development of clubhouse structure, with interior fitout proceeding based on available funding. Further enhancements and phased completion will follow into 2026.