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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is investing £500,000 to help develop a new community centre featuring a multi-sports hall in Camlough. The facility, developed in partnership with Camlough Community Association, will be located in the Slieve Gullion District Electoral Area and will cater for a number of sports to help meet the needs of a growing community.
A recommendation to progress the Camlough scheme at a meeting of the Council's Active and Healthy Communities Committee on 15 June was agreed by the full Council when it met on 6 July 2026. Funding for the multi-sports hall is being allocated via the Council's sports facility capital budget for Slieve Gullion DEA, following an extensive district-wide review of outdoor leisure facilities which focused on the condition and levels of use across core sports.
The examination of sports provision in Slieve Gullion identified a shortfall of indoor facilities to accommodate youth sports groups and year-round training facilities, with particular emphasis on underage and team players.
The proposed centre and multi-sports hall will be capable of accommodating outdoor recreation groups, youth organisations, local clubs and a wide range of community activities, providing a hub where people of all ages can build friendships and learn new skills.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Glyn Hanna, said the district-wide review of leisure facilities highlighted the need for new investment, with plans for the community centre and multi-sports hall in Camlough tangible evidence of the success of the exercise. He said, "Funding in sports development is at the heart of the drive to provide recreational facilities to not only meet an increasing need but encourage people to stay healthy and look after their physical and mental wellbeing." Cllr Hanna said the proposed development in Camlough would ensure people living in the Slieve Gullion DEA have access to a modern sports facility, with the investment welcomed by residents and sports club members alike. He added, "Investment in sports provision and community facilities leads to improved health and wellbeing outcomes in the community and supports the Council's wider sports development objectives."
The proposed multi-sports hall development follows the Council's recent decision to invest £4.6 million in a new recreation hub at Camlough Lake, which recently secured planning approval.
