Concerns over cost of Enniscorthy all-weather pitch dismissed – ‘No one has an issue with it because it’s competitively priced’

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Concerns regarding the pricing at the new all-weather pitch in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford have been dismissed by a local councillor who described the facility as an “amazing success” and one which is being used by clubs across the county.

At the November meeting of the Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD), Tony Doyle of the Wexford Football Alliance (WFA) explained how the organisation had been set up to administer the running of the pitch and ensure it remained community-led.

“The season has kicked off now and it’s become very busy up there, one pitch is not enough unfortunately,” he said. “The day-to-day running of the pitch is carried out by a caretaker who is paid on a part-time basis and volunteers the rest of his time. He needs to be there for the changeover when new groups arrive in because we don’t have an automated system set up yet. The plan in future is to have pre-bookings and people can enter a keycode to get in and out of the facility.”

While praising the pitch and those who run it, Cllr Jackser Owens was keen to know how much it cost to play there.

“There’s a reduced rate for matches compared to when it’s used as a training facility,” answered Mr Doyle. “We have to generate funds because we won’t be getting any more funding for it, so there’s no way of avoiding the level we charge; it’s €120 to train for an hour.”

“Those prices are very stiff,” noted Cllr Owens. “How much is it for a game?”

“That’s standard pricing for an all-weather pitch and it’s consistent with other facilities,” said Mr Doyle. “Any profits go back into the facility or into local football; one of the objectives of the WFA is to be able to support coaches, to pay them to go into clubs across the county.”

Given that the pitch opened in February of last year, Mr Doyle said it would be February 2026 before the WFA was able to provide the council with a full breakdown of its running costs and revenue.

However, while some were concerned about the pricing of the pitch, others were quick to observe that the Enniscorthy facility was much cheaper than those in other parts of the county.

“There’s only one other facility like this in the county and our pitch is €100 cheaper for a match than the one in Wexford, it’s an amazing success,” said Cllr Aidan Browne. “There was two massive games up there last week, crowd-wise, and there’s two games a day on it during the bad weather. Nearly every club in the county has played on it at this stage and there’s two teams from Wicklow looking to get on it this week. Soccer clubs struggle for money a lot more than GAA clubs, but no one has an issue with it because it’s competitively priced.”

Providing a full list of the costs, district manager Claire Lawless said it was currently €60 per hour for half pitch training, €120 per hour for full pitch training , €140 for a match in the day time, and €160 for a night game. There is also a 20 pc discount for Wexford Football Alliance members.