Official opening of €3.8m extension at Kildare sports centre
Minister James Lawless opens extension at Leixlip Amenities Centre
The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, has officially opened a €3.8 million extension at Leixlip Amenities Centre in Collinstown, Leixlip, Co Kildare.
Minister Lawless cut the ribbon on the facility extension on Thursday afternoon, joined by the centre's Chairperson, Michael Stack, Chief Executive Paul Condron, members of the voluntary board, Kildare County Council representatives and the contractors who delivered the project.
The extension adds 1,772 square metres to the centre, bringing the overall building to 3,933 square metres.
It includes a purpose-built gym, a high-performance training area and dedicated studios for exercise and wellness classes.
The completed building has achieved a B Building Energy Rating.
The project was financed by Leixlip Amenities Group CLG, with finance provided by AIB over a ten-year term.
Leixlip Amenities Centre has operated as a not-for-profit community facility since 1981. Run by a voluntary board on a 38-acre campus at Collinstown, it serves Leixlip and the surrounding communities of Celbridge, Maynooth, Kilcock and Lucan, with 3,500 members.
Speaking at the opening, Deputy Lawless said: "Leixlip Amenities has been part of the fabric of Leixlip since 1981, and it has continuously been a place where people of every age and every background can be active. This is thanks to the work of a voluntary board and a dedicated staff team who have given decades to it."
He added: "A €3.8 million investment by a community organisation is no small undertaking, and the board deserves enormous credit for the ambition behind it. North Kildare is growing quickly, and facilities like this are integral to facilitating the expansion of a growing town. I want to congratulate the board, the staff, the contractors, the members and everyone who was involved in the project."