24/09/2026
Roscommon Community Athletics Track (RCAT) Committee wish to express their gratitude to everyone who supported our ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฆ | ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฐ which took place on Monday 4th May. We are delighted to announce that a grand total of โฌ๐๐๐,๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฅณ
The draw is the first step in the fundraising drive to raise vital funds for the development of Roscommonโs first dedicated athletics track - Roscommon Community Athletics Track โ a 400 metre, eight-lane, all-weather track, with a full-sized community playing field at Lisnamult Community Sport Park in Roscommon Town. This ambitious โฌ1.5 million project will serve local athletics clubs, sports clubs, schools, community groups and individuals.
Paul McNamara, Chairperson RCAT Committee, said โthe draw went fantastically well, with huge support from an awful lot of people. A key objective for the committee and of the project generally is to bring the community on board, bring key stakeholders on board and to get people within the community to champion the project. Mr McNamara added that โin terms of getting this project over the line in the next year or two, this pillar of fundraising was instrumental.
The prize of a stunning Garden Room valued at โฌ65,000, sponsored by Lidan Designs, was won by Vanessa Moules from Co. Wicklow. Ms Moules has been working closely with Lidan to create a stunning sensory space for her six-year-old son Luca. The winning ticket was pulled by Dan O Brien, Managing Director of Lidan. Lidan designs and manufactures high-performance timber buildings - schools, community centres and public amenities - precision-built in our Roscommon factory and assembled on site in days.
The prize of a Bespoke Mark Lohan Kitchen worth โฌ25,000, sponsored by Mark Lohan Kitchens, was won by Daisy Deady, Co Cork. Ms Deady recently visited MLKโs Galway showroom and met with her
designer, Sean, for her first kitchen design consultation. The winning ticket was pulled by Mark
Lohan, Managing Director of Mark Lohan Kitchens, alongside his son Patrick who is a juvenile member of the local athletics club. award-winning design with Irish manufacturing, Mark Lohan Kitchenโs experienced team works closely with you to create a kitchen individually designed around your home, your style and the way you live.
The committee would like to acknowledge both our main prize sponsors, Lidan, and in particular, Dan OโBrien, Liam Casey and Chris Ball, and Mark Lohan Kitchensโ Mark Lohan and Sinead Fannon, for their vision, generosity and support throughout this process. From day one we wanted to champion what Roscommon has to offer, and we feel we really struck gold with our prize sponsors. The committee appreciates the involvement of these two local business who have helped move this community vision closer to becoming a reality.
We were also delighted to receive support for our Bonus Draws, thank you to McBreen Environmental, Healy Partners Architects, AA Saunas, George Bannonโs Sports, the Dean Group, Richie Feeney Fitness,
Roscommon Golf Club, Lisnamult Sports Park, Molloyโs Pharmacy and to all individuals who donated
prizes.
A note of appreciation must go to Siobhan and Fintan Kilroe, Xlnt Sign, who sponsored all our signs which gave us great visibility, and in particular their work on the MLK Sponsored float which included the children from local athletics clubs at Roscommon Easter Parade and was a source of great colour and excitement.
A big thank you to everyone who supported the project behind the scenes especially to Aidan Spence of Spence Digital Agency and Manus Loughran from Go Click Media for their expertise throughout. Thank you to videographer Tristan Auret from TM Media and Ruth McCourt for creating our draw promotional video and to Keen Print and Roscommon Signs for all their work.
To all the volunteers who helped over the last few months, in particular our tickets sellers who stood out rail, hail or shine and sometimes all the above. Thank you to Donnellans Main St, Caseyโs Londis, Roscommon Livestock Mart, Sean Doyle Windows, the Harrison Centre, Golden Island Shopping Centre, Daltons Pub Fuerty, Greenfields Childcare, Klassic Cleaners, All Creatures Veterinary, OโBriens Lanesboro and Roscommon GAA who were very obliging in giving us space to sell tickets. Thanks to Club Rossie for all their advice and lending us the drum for the draw.
The campaign was given a much-appreciated boost online by some well-known figures including
Diarmuid Murtagh, Senan Lambe, David Gillick, Darragh Murray, Ruth Scott, Sarah Cunningham,
Paddy Joe Burke, Denis Buckley, Lisa and Aoife O Rourke, Maria Walshe, and Rachel Casey who brought Ken Doherty and Jimmy White in to support. The local media have really gotten behind the project also, thank you to the Roscommon Hearld, Roscommon People and Shannonside FM for their continued support and to
Darren Frehill from RTE Sport who gave the project a great boost on Morning Ireland and Six One
news.
Progress to date: Donal Flynn, Project Leader RCAT, spoke recently about where the project is at in terms of development, โthe project contractor, Kesel Construction Ltd, has officially started work on site. They have completed the road in by the Astro, the ducting for the new cable is 90% completed and the bulldozers have started the groundworks. At that stage, the old access road to the Astro is closed off and the new road is now in use. A few more weeks will finish this phase of the groundworks. If you havenโt been down there recently, take a spin down, itโs already very impressive! Speaking about the timeline, Mr Flynn estimated a year and a half to two years for completion of the track, but said a lot depends on finances and when funding comes through.
In terms of the projectโs finances, Jennifer Brennan, RCAT Treasurer, spoke of the success of the draw
to date and the importance of getting the word out there, locally, nationally and internationally. She also added that the focus of this fundraising campaign was to bring the project towards match-funding with the sports capital grant already secured and to get the project off the ground. This is just the start in terms of the bigger picture, with the overall target for the project coming in at โฌ1.5 million. When asked whatโs next, Ms Brennan spoke about corporate funding, applying for grants, and hopefully another tranche of sport capital funding.
The committee has been preparing to apply for to the Community Sport Facilities Fund for the vital funds that will get this project โover the lineโ. Our corporate sponsorship packages for business as well as commemorative packages for families and individuals are complete. We have welcomed
the enormous support coming from the diaspora in particular through the Ireland Funds in the US and work continues in this regard.
If anyone would like to get involved in any way please get in touch and in the meantime the RCAT iDonate page is in operation at www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/RCAT where any contribution big or small is very much welcomed.
And finally, keep an eye out for RCAT which will be featured on an upcoming documentary on RTE television later in Autumn, we had a lot of fun with crew from WAKA Productions who met with ourlocal athletics clubs, sponsors and many locals while filming.
Win a Garden Room and Kitchen
