New community pitches officially opened

MP Kate Hoey was the guest of honour as the new 3G sports pitches at Lurgan Junior High School were officially opened.

There was a fantastic turn out for the community fun day as Mourneview celebrated the addition to two state-of-the-art floodlit football and hockey pitches.

Local children were entertained by Cool FM DJ Pete Snodden and his team while taking part in a host of fun activities included paintballing and a climbing wall.

The occasion attracted a number of dignitaries who gathered pitchside to make their speeches.

School principal Joe Johnston said he felt privileged that this project had come to life in the grounds of Lurgan Junior High.

The pitches will be for school use during the day and, as of Friday, the council will take over ownership in the evenings.

Mayor of Craigavon Stephen Moutray encouraged everyone from within the community to make full use of the excellent facilities.

Rosaleen Curran on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund and Alan Strong of Sport NI also welcomed the project which they had part funded.

SELB Chief Executive Tony Murphy thanked Lurgan College for their role in helping to make the project bigger and better.

Because of the hold up in the plans for Lurgan College the school generously gave up their allocation of funding for sports facilities to boost the junior high's capital for the project.

Guest of Honour Kate Hoey said the pitches were a fantastic opportunity for Lurgan to produce sports stars of the future. The former Minister for Sport then officially opened the pitches flanked by special guests - Ireland and Ulster out half David Humphreys and Emma Clarke, a former LJHS pupil who has been capped 100 times for Ireland at hockey.

The pitches were given the seal of approval in the shape of several matches involving the current crop of LJHS sporting talent pitted against top Ulster sides and later some of the school's former pupils took on a Glenavon select

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