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College Pt. kids get new place to play
Young athletes join lawmaker and offi cials in unveiling new Shannon Gaels Field
Vol. 28 No. 20 52 total pages
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 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 seating, benches, a
scoreboard and sports field
lighting as part of the phase
two renovation.
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.
According to Vallone’s
office, groundbreaking
on the second phase of
the project is set for later
this year.
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 Shannon Gaels
/QNS.COM