HANDBALL in west Belfast, and indeed further afield, is set to get a major boost as work is ready to roll on the new facilities at the old Beechmount leisure Centre where an overall £12.5 million complex will be built.
The handball facilities will be first to be completed and with the tenders already signed and sealed and the ink dry on all the other signatures on the dotted lines, work will commence within the next week-to-10 days.
First up will be two 40x20 handball courts at a cost of £500,000. They will be ready for use next year and should be at full steam in well under 12 months' time.
Following that, work will commence on a multi-purpose sports building that will house the likes of a gymnasium and a fitness suite. Playing pitches will also be laid.
The handball courts will be operated by Colaiste Feirste, which now owns the ground. Funding has been granted by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the Belfast City Council.
"The handball facilities are much-needed in this area as the Falls Road has always had a very strong tradition of handball with clubs like Dwyer's, McDermott's and Rossa all in the area," said Seamus O Tuma.
"It was at Beechmount leisure Centre that most of the players from those clubs trained.
"With the leisure centre no longer there, there was a shortage of facilities available and when the new courts are up and running the situation will be greatly relieved."
O Tuma is teaching in Colaiste Feirste and it is from there that many of today's top handball aces have emerged. Players like current women's world champion Aisling Reilly (left) studied and played handball at the college. "Our students here have won many college titles down the years," said O Tuma.
"Handball has a very strong tradition in the school and you could often find 60 to 70 pupils playing the game at lunchtime. The new courts, just yards away from the college, will certainly strengthen the connection."
The project is bang on target as the provisional date for work to start on the courts was set November 25.