Watch video: CBS launches €400,000 astroturf pitch fundraiser

CBS Roscommon has announced plans for one of the most ambitious developments in its history with the launch of a €400,000 astroturf pitch project, a major fundraising initiative that aims to deliver lasting benefits for students and the wider Roscommon community.

The project will see the construction of a floodlit, state of the art 80m x 40m synthetic pitch on the school grounds, developed in partnership with Roscommon LGFA. Designed to GAA standards, the facility will feature a modern all weather playing surface with dual GAA football and soccer markings, energy efficient LED floodlighting to allow year round use, and landscaped surroundings, including a dedicated Sponsors’ Walk at the main entrance.

The total cost of the development is €400,000. Half of that has already been secured through a €200,000 Sports Capital Grant awarded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, following a joint application by CBS Roscommon and Roscommon LGFA. The remaining €200,000 must now be raised locally, and the school has launched a community wide sponsorship drive to bridge that gap.

Speaking as the fundraising campaign was unveiled, CBS Roscommon Principal Kevin Scollan described the astroturf pitch as a “transformative project” for the school and for Roscommon Town.

“We have worked hard to secure the Sports Capital funding alongside Roscommon LGFA, and now we are asking the people of Roscommon to help us cross the line,” he said. “Every sponsorship — at any level — will be permanently recognised and will make a lasting difference to the young people of this county.”

The new facility will serve more than 450 students and over 40 staff at the co educational school, while also strengthening links between the school and local sporting organisations. With reliable, floodlit, all weather access, the pitch will significantly increase opportunities for training, physical education and extracurricular sport, regardless of the season or weather conditions.

The fundraising effort is being positioned firmly as a community project, reflecting CBS Roscommon’s deep roots in the town and county. The school was first established in 1937 when the Christian Brothers arrived in Roscommon, and it has played a central role in education and community life for nearly 90 years. A primary school followed in 1939, and CBS Roscommon quickly earned a reputation for innovation, including operating what is believed to have been the first dedicated school bus service in Ireland in 1948 to bring students from surrounding areas into town.

Growth continued through the decades, particularly after the introduction of free second level education in 1967, with multiple extensions added to accommodate rising enrolment.

Sporting achievement has long been a defining feature of life at CBS Roscommon, highlighted by Connacht Senior Football A titles in 1948 and 1998, and All Ireland Senior B football successes in 2011, 2019 and as recently as 2025.

Although the Christian Brothers withdrew from direct involvement in 2006, the school continues today under lay leadership as part of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, carrying forward the values and ethos of its founding tradition. The astroturf pitch project is seen as the next major chapter in that ongoing story.

To fund the remaining €200,000, CBS Roscommon has introduced a structured sponsorship programme with four contribution tiers, allowing individuals, families, past pupils and local businesses to participate at a level that suits them. Sponsorship options range from a €300 Bronze package to a €5,000 Platinum package, with each tier offering permanent on site recognition through the Sponsors’ Walk at the pitch entrance.

Higher level sponsors will also receive additional visibility through plaques, online and social media acknowledgements, local press listings and, in some cases, pitch side advertising and branded jackets. All contributors, regardless of level, will be permanently associated with the new facility, which the school says will serve generations of students to come.

The school has issued a strong call to all those with a connection to CBS Roscommon — current parents and guardians, past pupils and friends of the school — to support the appeal.

As the fundraising campaign gathers momentum, CBS Roscommon hopes the project will once again showcase the strong sense of community spirit that has defined the school since its foundation, while delivering a modern sporting facility worthy of its proud past and ambitious future.

Donate online at: https://www.idonate.ie/forms/CBSRoscommonAstroTurfProject or contact CBS Roscommon directly on 0906626496.

The Herald reports from the campaign launch: