Antrim have become the first major beneficiaries of the opening of Croke Park to soccer and rugby. Funds directly accrued from the FAI and IRFU payments for the use of Croke Park after the lifting of Rule 42 have gone towards the development of a Centre of Excellence in the Dunsilly area of Antrim Town.

Plans for the £8 million centre were unveiled this week by GAA President Nickey Brennan, who cut the first sod on the 26-acre site. The completed project will boast three full sized pitches, including one the size of Croke Park, a 3G pitch, a juvenile pitch, sports hall, treatment rooms, hurling alley, conference facilities and retail outlets.

"Central Council said at the time that funding gained from that venture would be put into both county projects and regional projects. This is the first of those regional projects," said Brennan.

"This is the first of a number of such ventures that will be launched round the country over the next two to three years. The funds that are being put in place are not just from the opening of Croke Park, they are also from our own bin.

"One thing that we do is invest heavily in infrastructure. We support clubs, we support counties and we support provincial councils.

"There is a great need for such a facility in Antrim. For too long the county board has gone cap in hand looking for facilities, and clubs have been helping out and deserve great credit for doing so.

"But that situation was untenable. It is the intention to have a vibrant GAA scene in the county, where county teams and development squads at all levels have their own facility. We are realising that today."

Brennan also called for government funding to compliment the work of Antrim GAA in contributing to the wellbeing and fitness of the population but also stressed that the centre was for the sole use of the GAA.

"You are doing a great service for young men and women and that must be recognised by government or local government, as well as the fundraising that needs to be done by the clubs in Antrim," said the Kilkenny native.

"This is not just a project that belongs to the county board officers. This is a project that is owned by every club in the county. This centre is for the playing of Gaelic games by the men and women who get great satisfaction from playing our national games and there is no other sport on the agenda."

The GAA President added: "I see Antrim as a county that can deliver a lot more on the inter-county scene. Hopefully this is the ingredient that you are lacking to bring you up to the top end of the scale."

County chairman John McSparran said that while it was a landmark occasion for the county, continued fundraising was required if the project was to get past the first phase.

"It is all very dependent on whether we garner support from clubs and from all interested parties who would be able to use these facilities," McSparran said.

"We set out to be ambitious and we have achieved a hell of a lot, we purchased land which will allow us to develop the first two pitches but we are still someway off the total of £8million which it will cost for the entire project."

McSparran estimates that it will be about two years before a ball is kicked at the Centre of Excellence.

"Realistically, it will take two years by the time we seek planning permission, and for sand-gravel pitches to bed down," McSparran said.

Also at Wednesday's launch, Eamon Prenter, chairman of Club Aontroma handed over a cheque for £50,000 towards the project.