A Brief History

In 2001, as part acknowledgement of the disruption to local residents from the activities at Croke Park, the GAA gifted the local community a building to be developed to support the development of community, social and leisure activities for residents living within the local community. When the GAA announced plans to redevelop Croke Park Stadium in the early ’90s, a series of meetings with the local community followed. Through these meetings community representatives sought support from the GAA to help the local area establish a community centre. In 2001, a unit at 9A Richmond Industrial Estate, off Distillery Road, was identified as having potential to be redeveloped as a community centre. The GAA acquired the building, and gifted it to the local community within the match day barrier area. The GAA’s construction team adapted the building, fitting it out with a new hall, offices, meeting rooms and associated facilities. The GAA leased the building for a term of 99 years to Clonliffe and Croke Park Community Hall Limited, a limited company with charitable status that is managed by a board of directors comprising representatives of the local community. Since opening the doors of Clonliffe & Croke Park Community Centre in 2002, the management committee has endeavoured to operate it as a safe and secure community facility for all the people who live within the boundaries of the Clonliffe and Croke Park area. In April 2013, The Centre was renamed The Barbara Ward Centre and officially opened by an tUachtarain GAA Liam O Neill, in memory of Barbara Ward a founding member of the Centre and a stalwart of the local community. The Management Committee of the Barbara Ward Centre place particular emphasis on providing employment, training and educational empowerment programmes to support the social development and inclusion of those members of the community experiencing social exclusion.