New homes for Creggan in a unique sporting and community partnership

A major community and housing partnership project has been officially opened in Derry. The new development, Creevagh Heights, is a Radius Housing initiative, which has brought together the Ulster GAA, Derry City & Strabane District Council, and Sean Dolans GAC, to provide brand new homes and a new sports facility, which will help revitalise the Creggan area of the city.

The official opening was carried out by the Mayor of Derry City & Strabane, Cllr Patricia Logue, along with Ulster GAA President, Ciaran McLaughlin. The event was also attended by Sinn Fein Vice President, Michelle O’Neill MLA, and local councillors, MLAs, schools and community representatives. To mark the occasion, Sean Dolan’s GAC held an underage football blitz, and a family fun day. 

Radius Housing is a leading housing developer, constructing more than 300 new social and affordable homes each year. Radius manages more than 13,500 social homes, and provides care and support for many more across Northern Ireland. 

This project saw Radius deliver a major, bespoke sports and community facility for Sean Dolans, alongside a significant social housing development. The project is an investment of more than £20million in the Creggan area, with the Department of Communities providing £10.7m funding, with £9.9M from Radius Housing for the new homes, while Derry City & Strabane District Council provided £600,000 for the new sports facilities. Support was also provided by Ulster GAA and Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

The new facilities at Sean Dolans an extension of the clubhouse pavilion, with a new indoor arena with 3G sports surface. They also include a multi-purpose room for the sports club and community: training space, gym room and meeting rooms, as well as space for dance classes and social events.

John McLean, Chief Executive of Radius Housing, said “At Radius we are always looking at how we can bring innovative approaches to how we develop new homes and build strong communities, particularly where there are challenges around suitable land. Working with Sean Dolans and the other organisations we have build a strong partnership approach, which has been able to deliver a huge amount, including high quality homes and a first class new sports and community facility. This is an important event, to mark what we have all achieved together, and let the local community enjoy the facilities. We look forward to seeing what this partnership approach can achieve on other projects here in Derry.”

Welcoming the opening, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Patricia Logue, said: “I am delighted as Mayor to attend the official opening of this fantastic community facility at Sean Dolans. I want to acknowledge the work of Radius Housing, Council and all partners involved for investing in this area and delivering state of the art amenities right where they are needed most.

“This new centre will be a busy and vibrant hub for sport, community activity and social gatherings, and will play a vital role at the heart of the Creggan community. There is so much demand for quality housing and fit for purpose, modern spaces to bring communities together. Well done to all involved in overcoming the challenges to deliver this wonderful project for the people of Creggan.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities said: “The Department for Communities welcomes this development which has received £10.7m from the Department and sees 119 new social homes constructed in an area of extremely high housing need. This scheme is a significant step in addressing the local housing pressures.”

Eamon McGinley, Chair of Sean Dolans, said “"This marks the opening of a game changing development for our club. What we have been able to do in partnership with Radius has allowed us to deliver first class facilities that will benefit Seán Dolans and the wider community for years to come. It also marks the beginning of a new chapter for us as a club where we can focus on developing the standard of gaelic games in Creggan and take our club to a new level. It is an exciting time for us. We are looking forward to the future and look forward to continuing our partnership with Radius"

Sinn Fein Vice President, Michelle O’Neill added “I want to commend all the members and volunteers of Sean Dolans GAC, Radius Housing and the GAA on the leadership they have shown to make this fantastic project a reality. As a result of this cooperative project, Sean Dolans now boasts one of the finest GAA facilities anywhere in Ulster and much-needed social housing has been provided for the Creggan community. That achievement is all the more remarkable given the adversity the club has faced and today, thanks to the efforts of all those involved, we have a facility and resource in place which is a wonderful legacy for future generations of Gaels and the wider community.”