The GAA have given approval for Derry City to use the Derry Centre of Excellence in Owenbeg as a training facility while the League of Ireland side develop their own base.
Central Council green lighted a request from Derry GAA to open up their state of the art home at Dungiven to the professional football club while they await the completion of a complex in Templemore in the city – a project with a two year timeline.
Finding a new training base was a priority for new Derry City boss Tiernan Lynch, with his predecessor Ruaidhri Higgins frustrated by the absence of a consistent day to day headquarters which meant they had to rotate destinations.
Candystripes officials approached the Derry county board to explore if Owenbeg could be made available, and the locals were receptive to the idea but it was always going to require approval from Croke Park. That was secured at a meeting on Saturday morning.
The facility includes four grass pitches, one 4G training pitch, in addition to meeting rooms, a gym, and analysis facilities. There’s also a canteen with the club set to employ a chef so they can have breakfast and lunch on site.
Owenbeg is a 30 minute drive from the city, but the location is topical in the context of Lynch’s winter recruitment with Northern Ireland internationals Liam Boyce and Gavin Whyte choosing the League of Ireland club over Irish League alternatives after returning home from successful careers overseas. Boyce and Whyte both hail from Belfast, and Owenbeg is on the right side of Derry to shorten the daily commute for any player who opted to live in Belfast.