The Official Opening of Villiers Astro-Pitch.

Villiers School has become the first School in Limerick to acquire their own Astro Pitch. After much debate, the School was left with no option but to replace its old all-weather pitch with this new surface, as all Hockey Cup and League matches are now required to be played on this type of pitch.

The School moved from Henry Street in 1953 to their new campus on the North Circular Road. They acquired extra land to create a new Grass Pitch in 1958. In 1981 this was replaced by a new All Weather pitch and floodlights added. So, now we have the 3rd change - to Astro. The floodlights have also been replaced.

Now we have the most up to date facility - a full International sized pitch. A novel part of the development is an area the equivalent size of a hockey penalty area, which can be used for a warm-up before or after matches.

The new pitch was constructed by G. Thornton (Ireland) Ltd. from Portumna in Co. Galway. Construction started in October 2001 and was successfully completed, despite the weather, over a three-month period. The pitch surface is sand - dressed, which is a further improvement on the sand filled pitches which are the usual type that have been used around the country. The total cost of the project including fencing and floodlights was over £600,000 - all of which has to come from the School's private resources.

The Pitch will be a facility for the wider community (as indeed its predecessor was) of the Northern side of Limerick city. The School will make it available for training and matches to other Hockey playing Schools and Clubs as well as to Soccer and Rugby groups. During the Summer Term we will be converting it into tennis courts - 6 in total for use by the students.

Overall, a major project for Villiers - but hopefully a very worthwhile one for the School, for Hockey in Munster at all levels and for all Sports who will use these excellent facilities.

The Project goes hand in hand with the Sports Hall built in 1999 at a cost of over £1,000,000. This Hall is adjacent to the Astro and both mark the School as one of the best equipped, certainly in Limerick but also much further afield.