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UCD track to close!!

Timmaay

Part of an email sent out today from the college president for students:

"The UCD running track has reached the end of its operational life and unfortunately has had to be closed due to health and safety concerns. Our advisors have reported that as the surface is badly worn and becomes slippy when wet, it should be closed to all users. Works to redress this situation have already commenced and we hope to be able to provide an alternative facility on campus in the future, subject to funding becoming available."

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Timmaay

myflipflops wrote: »

The track at UCD has now been destroyed. The land has been designated for other use. A large piece of land in the most expensive are of Ireland has moved from being reserved for athletics to being reserved for cars to park on.

Great quote, this really hits home the message, and its something that everyone in Irish athletics should be aware of and in total opposition of.

macinalli

Timmaay wrote: »

We are trying to get hold of this report, but so far we have not been allowed to look at it!

Could you put in a Freedom of Information request? This applies to all universities; so long as the request is framed properly then I think it should be a route to getting the info. I think that if such a request were to come from UCD AC then they would have to reply, as the decision to remove the track directly affects them. Further info here.

PaulieC

myflipflops wrote: »

You are missing the point to such a degree that i nearly think you are taking the piss.

The track at UCD has now been destroyed. The land has been designated for other use. A large piece of land in the most expensive are of Ireland has moved from being reserved for athletics to being reserved for cars to park on. It almost certainly will not be replaced unless we can put enough pressure on Brian Mullins and co that he thinks his job is at stake.

With respect, I think it is you who is missing my point. My point was not about the closure of the UCD track, which I think is scandalous, but more about the use of some of the hyperbole that was used in this thread in relation to the closure (nightmare trek, being forced to run on uneven pavements etc.). I was merely trying to point out that a more reasoned line of protest would get a lot further (such as the letter writen and copied earlier in the thread). When people start exaggerating their arguments it goes someway to discrediting the very valid arguments that others are putting forward.
Believe me, I was not taking the piss and I think it's a huge shame that a) the track is closing and b) the way in which they are going about closing it, but reasoned, logical and well thought out arguments will always get you get you further in a debate.

apple_core

Track was closed due to health and safety concerns but under no circumstances will UCD athletics Club be permitted to perform the necessary repairs or upgrades which will allow the track to be compliant with Health and safety requirements.... UCD sports office's official stance.

The track is gone, nothing you can do about it.

macinalli

apple_core wrote: »

Track was closed due to health and safety concerns but under no circumstances will UCD athletics Club be permitted to perform the necessary repairs or upgrades which will allow the track to be compliant with Health and safety requirements.... UCD sports office's official stance.

The track is gone, nothing you can do about it.

Your first post on Boards - good to see you used it to say something productive. Bravo.

TakeaBowSon

I went down to have a look at the track today and protests or even letters would be futile at this stage. The track has been rendered useless by the digging of a gully right across the track at two separate points.

It's a terrible shame and a really good local facility is now gone.It may not have been up to scratch for elite athletes but was good enough for the rest of us...and a far safer option than running on the side of the N11.

To be replaced by a car park? And we wonder why there is obesity problems in this country. The mind boggles! Rant over.

woodchopper

apple_core wrote: »

Track was closed due to health and safety concerns but under no circumstances will UCD athletics Club be permitted to perform the necessary repairs or upgrades which will allow the track to be compliant with Health and safety requirements.... UCD sports office's official stance.

The track is gone, nothing you can do about it.

There is something rotten to the core about this apple.

PS: When Woodchopper addresses your post, you know your in with the big boys!

RoyMcC

apple_core wrote: »

Track was closed due to health and safety concerns but under no circumstances will UCD athletics Club be permitted to perform the necessary repairs or upgrades which will allow the track to be compliant with Health and safety requirements.... UCD sports office's official stance.

The track is gone, nothing you can do about it.

Oh OK then, close the thread.

electrictrad

Bruce7 wrote: »

Is it still possible to use the infield and throwing circles?

It was, until today, when they took down the cages - that means no hammer and discus. . .javelin and shot are just about still doable. . .but the track is closed, and the builders are calling it in when people go on the track. . .

opus

Read about it in the Running in Cork blog earlier today - Dublin loses one of it's most famous tracks - http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2011/11/dublin-loses-one-of-its-most-famous.html

Most of the UCC running track is closed at the moment due to building work but they're supposed to be redoing once the job is over, fingers crossed that turns out to be the case.

apple_core

It was the UCD Bursars that decided that the track should be disposed of, lets face it these are the most despicable human beings around. The renting of the full size football pitch is 400 euo an hour, clearly the track has no value to the college as it doesn't generate revenue.

robinph

apple_core wrote: »

... under no circumstances will UCD athletics Club be permitted to perform the necessary repairs or upgrades which will allow the track to be compliant with Health and safety requirements.... UCD sports office's official stance.

If that is the case...

apple_core wrote: »

Track was closed due to health and safety concerns ...

...then this cannot be true.

apple_core

The irony of my first post was clearly lost on you.

Mister Dread

Words can't describe how angry I am at this. I've never done athletics and I didn't go to UCD but I went to Maynooth which had no track. This is not a result of the recession this is just part of the Irish attitude towards sport and recreational facilities in this country. I couldnt believe when I went to the states the quality of the universities over there. Multiple tracks, stadiums and gyms all over the place. Fair enough they pay big money over there but thats not the whole story. Every high school over there tends to have a proper track and football stadium. A high school and we have here are top university with over 20K students and there is no track. I would hvae loved to be a sprinter in school but there was no track. No track near me and no track when I went to college. When I think of all the **** that the state has wasted its money on over the years it upsets me.

apple_core

The Bursars have decided that they want to get rid of the track. The Health and Safety mumbo jumbo excuse was rolled out and when the UCD athletic club made the suggestion that they would be willing to make the adjustments needed to make the track compliant with health and safety requirements, they were informed that they would not be permitted to make the adjustments..... i hope you can grasp what is going on here.

robinph

apple_core wrote: »

The irony of my first post was clearly lost on you.

Probably, but that is where emoticons come in so as to better highlight ones tone of voice/ meaning on the internet. Otherwise your initial message just reads as a quote of what UCD allegedly said, and not as a highlight of the contradictions of their position.

Runonewon

It's hard to believe that a top Irish university can be so nonplussed by the closure of their track and field facilities.Would they be as disinterested if some of their gealic or soccer pitches were falling foul of health and safety regulations,i doubt it.
Belfield was the home of athletics(especially schools) for so long,its shocking that it has been allowed to drift into disrepair.It certainly leaves us in no doubt where Athletics stands in the sporting administrators view.

Timmaay

apple_core wrote: »

It was the UCD Bursars that decided that the track should be disposed of, lets face it these are the most despicable human beings around. The renting of the full size football pitch is 400 euo an hour, clearly the track has no value to the college as it doesn't generate revenue.

Ultimately you are probably correct here! Any of the UCD sports clubs will tell you how their facilities have been effected over the past few years, the UCD Basketball club can't get any of the halls to train in anymore, UCD Athletics lost the use of a Hall to do our core work for one hour a week this year. All the clubs have been brushed aside and facilities are hired out the whole time, in an effort to get as much money in to the College coffers as possible. And an athletics track not making money is not good business!

RayCun

Do any Irish universities have a (not grass) track?

Mister Dread

RayCun wrote: »

Do any Irish universities have a (not grass) track?

NUIG have a nice track. Bit of a trek from the campus which is constrained by its geography.

G-Money

I see Paula Radcliffe and Sonia O'Sullivan mentioning this on Twitter too

Runonewon

University of Limerick have excellent track facilities

dna_leri

RayCun wrote: »

Do any Irish universities have a (not grass) track?

Not uni's but Sligo & Athlone ITs have tracks.

Timmaay

CIT also, and Athlone is soon to have an indoor track also, UL has a tempery indoor track as well.

ecoli

An online petition has been started in an attempt to show that this has a major impact on the many people who use the track. Hopefully this sort of pro active work will help try and fast track the proposal of a new track or atleast make sure that there is pressure on the project not to be shelved

http://www.change.org/petitions/president-hugh-brady-of-university-college-dublin-ireland-the-creation-of-new-athletics-track-on-the-ucd-campus#

electrictrad

RayCun wrote: »

Do any Irish universities have a (not grass) track?

A good few; UCC have the Mardyke, Cork IT, Athlone IT, UL and NUIG all have tracks too . . .in addition, DCU, LIT, Mary I, St Pats Drumcondra, and WIT have tracks fairly close to them . . . UCD has just joined Trinity as one of the 2 major universities in the state not to have a track either on campus, or less than a mile or so from it. . .

Pride Fighter

As an alumni of UCD and lover of sport I am sickened by this. However, I would say dont shoot the messenger. I know Brian Mullins to be a decent sporting man and he should not be blasted for his actions under orders. Hugh Brady is the real enemy as he has destroyed UCD during his term as President. He spent 1 million euro getting the presidents house on campus refurbished, one fifth of that would have gotten the track relaid and two fifths would have gotten the track relaid with maybe a small bleachers for spectators and a small changing room. He completely alienated academic staff and turned UCD from a place of learning into a money making machine for him and his lackeys in the admin building. It's such a shame cause its a great place, with great people, but its a great place in spite of him, not because of him.

Rant over.

aficionado

Sad news, Had some great interval sessions there,
Dunno how I feel about paying every time to use the Irish Town track
Apart from Irish town is there any other good spots around the area that would be good for intervals?

The track should have been refurbished / cleaned, etc. ages ago.
By the way, people on here are complaining (which is right) but have you all e-mailed Brian Mullins? His e-mail is provided in this thread...

token56

ecoli wrote: »

An online petition has been started in an attempt to show that this has a major impact on the many people who use the track. Hopefully this sort of pro active work will help try and fast track the proposal of a new track or atleast make sure that there is pressure on the project not to be shelved

http://www.change.org/petitions/president-hugh-brady-of-university-college-dublin-ireland-the-creation-of-new-athletics-track-on-the-ucd-campus#

I've signed this myself and I've sent the link to all the athletics clubs I know on facebook. Hopefully if word spreads about this something can get done quicker.