What needs to be done to finally get the message through to the decision makers in our Town that Portlaoise needs a Sports Centre and that this Centre needs to facilitate one of the best All Inclusive Basketball Clubs in Ireland the Portlaoise Panthers.

I’m 62 and played Basketball for Portlaoise in the 70”s under legend coaches such as Pat Dalton & Pat Critchley and in those years we too trained in St Mary’s Hall. We had our big moments winning the odd championship but nothing compared to the success of the Portlaoise Panthers of today who have reached new heights over the years and now have hundreds of kids banging on the doors to become members but after almost 50 years the club has massively outgrown St Mary’s Hall which makes it impossible to cater for the demand forcing them into having to rent out several locations to hold their training. This is not sustainable and the Local Authority needs to accept that.

I’m calling on my generation and the younger generation to pull together to ensure our public representatives finally see the need and not just see it but do something about it. It will be an absolute disaster for our Community if a Basketball Centre is not included in the plans for the allocated site off the Stradbally road. We all need to lobby every public representative not just in Portlaoise but throughout the County. Use every social media platform to get this message out. Ugie Ugie Ugie!!! Please Share Share & Share

Annette McCaul