DUNDRUM Development Association has presented £30,000 to the village’s award-winning coastal rowing club to help with the construction of a new boat store. Work started last week on the new boat store for Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club which will be located on a former parcel of waste ground beside Mickey Keenan’s tyre and battery business on Main Street. The new store will allow the club to store boats and carry out work to them at a site close to Dundrum Inner Bay. The award of the £30,000 from the Development Association (DDA) is in keeping with its policy of seeking to help sports clubs and community organisations in the village.
In the past year, the Association has made substantial grants to Dundrum GAC, Dundrum Cricket Club and Dundrum Football Club, as well as providing significant funding for the recent village festival, which attracted several thousand people to the village. The chairman of Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club, Andy Boyd, thanked DDA for their “very generous contribution” to the boathouse build. “The Development Association have been essential to this project from the beginning,” said Mr Boyd. “Having a boathouse on this site will totally transform the day-to-day running of the club, allowing more people from the club and the village to get involved in coastal rowing without the need to tow boats. It will be a great asset for our village,” he added.
The Association has also recently submitted a formal planning application to develop the site of the former Castle Vaults bar, a major eyesore in the village which has been derelict for many years. The proposal is for two commercial units on the ground floor and four two-bedroom apartments and car parking on the deceptively large site which extends over three stories. The submission of the planning application comes at a time of change within DDA, with longstanding chairman, Dr Patrick McComiskey, stepping down after leading the organisation since its inception in the 1990s. Patrick, who will remain on the board of DDA, has been replaced by Stephen Calvert. Another longstanding officer, Frances Flynn, has also stepped down as secretary and has been replaced by Deborah Boden. Frances will also remain on the board.
Paying tribute to Patrick and Frances, the new chairman said: “The DDA and Dundrum village are indebted to Patrick and Frances for their active leadership, service and judicious stewardship of the group over a period of over 25 years in what is a voluntary role. “They have steered the organisation with a steady hand and it is a testament to them that the group and the village itself continue to flourish. “We are very grateful of their willingness to remain on the board with Patrick taking on the additional role of treasurer. During the period, the charity has supported many groups and organisations within the village and will continue to do so,” said Stephen. Additional information about the DDA , including a funding application form, can be found at https://dundrumdevelopment association.org.uk.