Portlaoise Panthers want support for Portlaoise St Patrick's Day pre-parade protest march

The biggest basketball club in Laois is holding a pre-parade protest march in Portlaoise this St Patrick's Day, to highlight the need for a new sports hall for the growing town.

Portlaoise Panthers has over 400 members of all ages, but their only facility is an old damp parish hall in need of a major upgrade, offering one basketball court.

For years the club has been calling for investment in a multi-purpose new community sports hall for Portlaoise for their club and others. With no result, now they are taking to the streets, minutes before the town's huge St Patrick's Day parade.

The club recently shared a video of the court being dried off before a game. Game spectators had to be evicted to stop further condensation making the floor dangerously slippy. 

"This is what we are resorted to at the minute if there is heavy rain on a game night. Our juvenile members running around with towels wiping dry the leaks from the roof to try keep a game going," they said.

Club vice chairperson Jack Scully told the Leinster Express / Laois Live why they are marching.

"This community needs and wants this facility. It's of high importance on a lot of people's radars. The GAA, soccer and rugby clubs have historic grounds and we don't begrudge them. We are told we have to go and buy land but we just don't have that finance. We feel a community sports centre should be built. What is there is not adequate to provide support," he said.

There was fresh hope a year ago when Laois County Council took over a lease on St Mary's Hall, sub letting it to the club, with a new committee formed. Jack said little has happened however since then.

"There is no plan as of yet. The council and club both did feasibility studies. Basketball, indoor hockey, karate, badminton, all have no base. We are looking for a serviced two acre site.

"We met the council recently and the CEO John Mulholland told us that it is not in their remit. He said that housing is their number one priority, all else must take a back seat. They said they could do a community centre like Portlaoise leisure centre but at the moment they have no land, and the finance is not available. They said it's up to us to apply for grants. 

"We had suggested the old Centrepoint site or Tyrrells land, both would be ideal," the vice chair said.

He is unsure how many will turn up to their march.

"We have invited all the councillors and TDs to attend, and we are calling out to all clubs and participants in the main parade to join. The rate that Portlaoise is growing in houses should be matched in tandem with sports facilities. It is badly needed and the people of Portlaoise want it," Jack said. 

The Panthers invite all clubs of all kinds, participants in the Streets of Portlaoise race, and all supporters to join their short parade.

It starts from their base at St Mary's Hall on the Dublin Road at 11.45am, walking around by James Fintan Lalor Avenue to end at Laois County Council offices.

It will end at 12 noon, in time for participants to join the main parade which starts at 12.30pm.

Laois has over a dozen parades taking place around the county, full listing here.