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May 17-23, 2019 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
ALSO COVERING AUBURNDALE, COLLEGE POINT, DOUGLASTON, GLEN OAKS, FLORAL PARK
• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
College Pt. kids get new place to play
Young athletes join lawmaker and offi cials in unveiling new Shannon Gaels Field
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Officials and community
members gathered to celebrate
the completion of the first phase
of a College Point athletic field
renovation project, 3 1/2 years
after construction initially
began.
Councilman Paul Vallone
joined New York GAA
Chairman Laurence McGrath
and Deputy Consul General
of Ireland in New York Seán
ÓhAodha to cut the ribbon on
the Shannon Gaels Athletic
Field at Frank Golden Park.
Phase one of the project
included a complete renovation
of the field located between
133rd Place and 135th Street.
“It was a great afternoon
at Frank Golden Park cutting
the ribbon on the brand-new
Shannon Gaels Athletic Field,”
said Vallone. “I’m proud to have
allocated funding towards this
project, which will be enjoyed
by the Shannon Gaels GAA
and the Queens community
for generations to come!”
The $5.2 million renovation
began in December 2015 and
Vallone allocated $500,000
in funding to the two-phase
project. A portion of the funds
went toward the construction
of a synthetic turf playing field
for training and scrimmages
as well as asphalt repavement,
tree planting and a connecting
pedestrian walkway.
For the project’s second
Council member Paul Vallone stands beside New York GAA Chairman Laurence McGrath and Deputy Consul General of Ireland in New York
Seán Ó hAodha on Saturday afternoon to cut the ribbon on the new Shannon Gaels Athletic Field at Frank Golden Park.
Photos courtesy of Councilman Vallone’s offi ce.
The second phase will
also include a picnic area
with newly planted shade
and ornamental trees and an
accessible ramp.
The Shannon Gaels Gaelic
Athletic Association (GAA)
was founded in Queens in
2002 and is the only underage
GAA club in the borough for
children of all age levels. The
GAA plays the popular Irish
sport known as Gaelic football,
where 15 team members on
each side score points through
the opposing team’s goal
posts.
phase, the Parks Department
plan illustrates that the field
immediately to the west of
the Shannon Gaels Athletic
Field will also get a complete
overhaul. NYC Parks plans
to install netting, stadium
According to Vallone’s
seating, benches, a scoreboard
office, groundbreaking on the
and sports field lighting as part
second phase of the project is
of the phase two renovation.
set for later this year.
Vol. 85 No. 20 52 total pages
The Shannon Gaels
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