ST Eunan’s GAA club in Letterkenny is to become a Covid-19 testing centre in the next few days, the club’s chairman has announced.

The centre will operate for 12 hours per day as a drive-through centre for those referred for testing by their GP.

Club chairman John Haran said the HSE responded very quickly when he approached them last Friday.

“As a GAA club at the heart of the community we are already helping out in this time of national crisis and I felt our facilities at O’Donnell Park could be used by our health service too,” said Mr Haran.

“I contacted the HSE on Friday past and they were on site with us within two hours to meet our groundsman Vincent McGlynn. They returned on Monday for a second inspection and were delighted to take up our offer.”

Haran said there would be five testing stations at the back of the main stand of the Letterkenny club where people can be tested without leaving their cars. It will operate from 8am to 8pm each day. Vehicles will exit the area by driving around the far side of the main pitch.

“People all over Donegal and beyond have been very generous to St Eunan’s GAA club. They have supported us through two recent fundraising house draws and we are more than happy now to try to give back to the wider community,” said the chairman.

“We will be asking club volunteers to help out with traffic management and we would ask anyone who is available to get in touch with any club executive member.”

St Eunan’s stressed that the whole of O’Donnell Park will be closed for the duration of the testing centre to protect privacy of patients using the facility.