The new skate park on the Burrin Road in Carlow is being officially opened this morning.
Skaters have been enjoying the facility for a couple of months already.
But Carlow Mayor Fergal Browne will be at the ribbon cutting at 11 o’clock.
He says it great to make it official, telling KCLR News “The Skate Board Park on the Burrin Road has proven very popular and it was a long time coming and I want to compliment the former members of the old town council who set the ball rolling on this many, many years ago and today we’re seeing the fruition of their efforts and certainly it has been a great success in the terms of people using it and there’s still further works to be done down there but at least today we’re officially opening it”.
He expects to see a rise in interest in the sport, noting “This year skateboarding will be on the Olympics for the first time ever so no doubt that will even lead to greater popularity in my view after people see it on the Olympic games but certainly I’ve met past students there and they love being able to skateboard and other activities”.
And Mayor Browne adds “When I moved into the Burrin Road myself 20 years ago I asked the question at a council meeting about could we get any facilities on the road, at the time it was only wasteland, and at the time I was told at the time there was no space available and meanwhile 20 years later we now have a skateboard park, we have New Oak soccer club, we have dressing rooms and two pitches and an astroturf pitch on the same section so it’s ironic the way things worked out but it’s a good success story”.