Heavey Technology Park: A Testament to Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC’s Resilience and Vision
Founded in 1973, Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC (SRRFC) has been a welcoming home for rugby players of all levels, built on community, passion, and resilience. For decades, the club thrived despite the challenge of having no permanent home, relying on short-term pitch leases.
That all changed with the opening of Heavey Technology Park, a state-of-the-art rugby facility that now secures the club’s future. More than just a pitch, it represents the determination and spirit of everyone who made it possible. Today, SRRFC continues to grow, compete, and inspire the next generation of players.
The Journey to Establishing Heavey Technology Park
April 2013: A Sliding Doors Moment for Stillorgan RFC
Up until 2013, Stillorgan RFC, as it was then known, played from Bird Avenue, Clonskeagh, fielding three men’s rugby teams. However, in April 2013, the club received notice that the landlord intended to cease renting the pitches to Stillorgan RFC, placing the club’s future in serious jeopardy. Suddenly, the existence of our rugby club was at risk—this was a true crossroads moment in our history.
Faced with this uncertainty, the Club Executive, led by Danny Shanahan and Mark Cooling, acted swiftly to identify alternative rugby grounds. Fortunately, a pitch at Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club in Rathfarnham was secured, ensuring the short- to medium-term survival of the club.
However, this move also highlighted the precarious nature of our club’s position as a tenant. While the shift to Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club provided a necessary and welcome solution, it became evident that for the club to truly thrive and grow, we needed to secure a permanent rugby facility—a home that would allow Stillorgan RFC to develop, expand, and sustain future generations of players.
This realization marked the beginning of a journey that would eventually lead to the establishment of Heavey Technology Park, a purpose-built rugby training ground that would redefine the future of Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC.
Early 2015: A Run That Changed Everything
Danny Shanahan went out for a run—something he had started doing more frequently as his rugby playing days were nearing their end. His shoulder was in bad shape, and while his heart still longed to take part in the Shanahan Shuffle on Saturday afternoons, his body had other ideas. Running became the alternative.
That day, Danny set off for a 10km loop, passing familiar landmarks, Buglers Pub, the Grange Golf Club, and up Tibradden Road. As he ran, something caught his eye—a For Sale sign. It marked 40 acres of agricultural land. Curious, he took a quick look over the wall to get a sense of the site before continuing his run. But the thought of that land stuck with him. By the time he got home, an idea was already forming.
Without hesitation, Danny emailed the club’s strategic committee: Mark Cooling, Maurice Ryan, Ross O’Donovan, Derek McCormack, and Ronan McCabe—to ask a critical question: “Is there an opportunity here? Who can help us move forward?”
The club then reached out to Michael Heavey, a former club captain and long-time member, to see if he would be interested in supporting the project. What followed was the beginning of a transformational plan—one that would ultimately lead to the creation of Heavey Technology Park, securing the long-term future of Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC.
2016–2018: Planning Permission and Approvals
With the land secured, the next challenge was planning permission and for that, the club needed funding.
A presentation night was organized at the Clayton Hotel, Sandyford, bringing together about 30 club members. Could they help make this vision a reality? The opportunity was outlined, met with some raised eyebrows but also a shared determination to move forward. That night, enough funds were raised to cover the planning stage, and with that, the ball was rolling.
Maurice Ryan (“Mossy”) led the planning permission. The initial list of required surveys and designs was lengthy – Site drawings, Clubhouse drawings, Engineering Reports, Water Drainage Plans, Access and Transport Design, Construction Management Plan, Soakaway design, Architectural drawings, Geotechnical Surveys, Porosity testing, Floodlighting plans, Waste Water Treatment… and that was just phase 1. Mossy rolled up the sleeves. The initial planning application was submitted in December 2016.
Ahead of the initial application, an information evening for local residents was held in the National Scout Camp in Larch Hill. Additional information was requested to our original application, and this was provided to the planners in October 2017. Planning permission was granted in November 2017.
However, an appeal to the permission granted was lodged with An Board Pleanala, but thankfully, in June 2018, An Bord Pleanala approved the original permission. Our dream suddenly came into sharp focus.
The club is forever indebted to Maurice Ryan for this time and leadership on the Planning. Without Mossy’s support planning would have been unobtainable.
2018–2020: Funding and Financial Backing
Once we had planning, everything changed. The club now had an approved project to finance. Danny Shanahan started to put together cost estimates. The numbers were indicative but we now had a general sense of what lay ahead to develop Heavey Technology Park.
The IRFU came on board. Following a presentation on club strategy and development plan, the IRFU commended the work done to date and agreed to provide a loan to us. A great start!
Ross O’Donovan then kicked into gear on the Grant front. The first success was the awarding of a sports capital grant in November 2019. In parallel Ross rooted out an opportunity to get funding from a rural development scheme and secured funding for floodlighting, pathways and pitch fencing. We are forever indebted to Ross O’Donovan for what he has achieved for the club – unbelievable stuff from the Salesians scrum-half.
In parallel to grant and loan funding, the call also went out to the current club membership. There are a lot of people in the club that wanted to see this happen and were happy to contribute. Derek McCormack, Jimmy Sadlier and Ross Durnin drove on with internal fundraising which secured a sizeable contribution from our members.
2020: Preparing for Construction
With clear line of sight over funding emerging, in 2020 Danny (QS) and Mossy (engineer) went to work developing a Request for Tender for the development of Heavey Technology Park.
This required the production of detailed drawings and plans with associated bill of quantities.
Needless to say, this was a significant amount of work and effort on behalf of Danny and Mossy – all of which was done on a pro-bono basis.
The core element of the development contract included the cutting and filling of three full pitch playing surfaces, the installation of drainage systems for the two main pitches and development of a car park and entrance to the club grounds.
Following the submission of tenders from a number of parties, DAR Golf were appointed contractor and commenced construction in October 20. On confirmation of additional grant funding floodlighting, pitch fencing and site pathways were later added to the overall development.
September 10, 2022: The Grand Opening of Heavey Technology Park
On Saturday 10 September 2022, SRRFC fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition – to have a place to call home. Many are aware that our club operated on the basis of short term pitch leasing arrangements since our inception in 1973, which caused uncertainty as continuity of tenure was never guaranteed, and “home” for SRRFC over the last 50 years moved from pillar to post on many occasions.
In the late 2000s a club grounds’ committee was established to explore opportunities to secure a permanent home for SRRFC, and lands at Tibradden were identified as being potentially available.
Titanic efforts from a number of club members (you know who you are!) and backing from Michael Heavey (of Heavey Technology) allowed plans to move forward, and with further support from IRFU / Leinster Rugby, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, and LEADER grant funding, Heavey Technology Park became a reality.
The day had something for all of the family – games and bouncing castles for children, a mens’ game between Stillorgan-Rathfarnham and Monkstown (which thankfully we won!), great coffee from Cahill’s Centra, as well as guest appearances from Leo the Lion and a number of Leinster Rugby players.
SRRFC wishes to thank all who helped the club on the journey to making Heavey Technology Park a reality, and we are excited for what the future holds.
If you haven’t come along to see what all the fuss is about, come down to see us – we guarantee you a warm welcome!
Listen Now: The Story of Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC & the Birth of Heavey Technology Park
Discover the incredible journey of Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC, from decades of uncertainty and pitch leasing to the grand opening of Heavey Technology Park. Click below to listen to RTE Radio 1’s special feature, covering the club’s rich history, challenges, and triumphs in securing a permanent home for the future.
Experience the Journey: Watch the Story of Heavey Technology Park
From a club without a permanent home to the state-of-the-art Heavey Technology Park, this is a story of dedication, resilience, and community spirit. Watch these videos to see how Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC made history and built a lasting legacy.
Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC – How it Started
The Grand Opening of Heavey Technology Park
Rugby Club Progress – from Senior to Kids Rugby
The Growth and the Future of the Rugby Club
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