GAA president officially opens state of the art indoor activity centre in Offaly club

THE bitter early evening cold in no way diluted the feel good atmosphere, the mood of satisfaction and celebration as Ballycumber GAA Club officially opened a new state of the art Activity Centre last week.

GAA president Larry McCarthy performed the official opening in the hugely impressive new structure – a large indoor activity centre with an astro turf playing pitch, capable of holding full training sessions and indoor games for all age groups.

It measures 48 metres long, 18 metres wide and will be invaluable during the inclement Winter months in particular – it is available for hire to other teams on: 

https://portal.sportskey.com/venues/ballycumber-gaa-club.

It was a huge undertaking by Ballycumber GAA Club and they have been delighted with the finished product. In addition to GAA grants, the facility received support from the Offaly Local Development Company and the Offaly Sports Partnership – the club undertook extensive fundraising themselves with a Croke Park to Ballycumber walk proving very successful, raising €105,000.

The large crowd at last week's opening heard GAA president Larry McCarthy say:

“Congratulations and thank you for all you’ve done in terms of putting this facility at the heart of the community. It’s a magnificent facility. It’s going to be a great boost to the club, I’ve no doubt about that, and it’s going to be a great boost to the county as well, I’ve no doubt about that. I’m absolutely delighted to hear that you got money from the local development company. Why do I say that? Because you deserve it. You more than deserve it.

“Because you are part of the greatest community based sports organisation in the world, bar none. And whatever community we’re in around the world, we have deep roots in those communities, and any investment made in us, made by public entities in the GAA, on this island in particular, is returned in spades. So if you need more money, go back to them. Go back to the public authorities, go back to the politicians, go back and ask them for more, simply because you deserve it. Who else would put up a facility like this ladies and gentlemen, except the GAA club?”

Mr McCarthy added:

“You deserve that investment, and you’re part of the greatest community based sports organisation in the world, but you’re also part of the best inter generational sport organisation in the world. Look at these gentlemen over here, and look at these young children over here. Where else would you get it? And by the way there’s a range of ages in between as they’re facing out there in front of me. On any Saturday morning in any GAA club in the world, you’re going to see people from 8 to 80, and we have it here tonight, and they’re enjoying it, and that again makes us different. We are a community based inter-generational organisation that’s unique in the world and long may it continue.”

He noted that Ballycumber had signed up to the GAA's Healthy Club scheme, providing a walking track and attracting new members in this way.

He went on: “I rarely get the opportunity to be at a club when they’re starting off their projects, and to end up opening it, but I was on the banks of the canal in Dublin outside Croke Park when you won the U-20 All Ireland final, shaking hands with the members of the club as they set off walking along the canal on their walk home, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be here tonight, to open the facility. That has never happened to me in my life, in my little journey as president of the GAA, so thank you for that opportunity.

“You’re also a green club I believe. The first green club in the county, so congratulations on that. So think of the achievements. You’re a healthy club, you’re a green club, you have this magnificent facility, you raised loads of money to do it. They are magnificent achievements, and everybody here is saying you’re a small community but by God are you a thriving community, and you’re a vibrant community, and long may that continue.”

He challenged Ballycumber to win a second Senior Football Championship – their only previous one was won in 1968 – and he also urged the club to provide new referees and respect officials.

Ballycumber GAA chairman Vinny Minnock thanked everyone involved in the successful conclusion of the project and all who supported it.

He recalled that they first got the idea when they saw a similar facility at the U-14 Feile competition in Enniscrone/Kilglass back in 2019.

“Our U-14 team returned from Sligo with some silverware, but the coach returned with ambitious plans,” he smiled, adding:

“The Feile coach brought his idea to the next committee meeting, and while it was an ambitious project back then, the committee saw the benefits it could bring to the club and community, and we started on a journey. That coach was Dermot Egan. As you all know in life, every project and mission has its ups and downs and ours is no different. One committee member quietly reminded me in that meeting, in his own genuinely concerned way, that we have €65 in our current account and “are we mad?”. And he was perfectly right. So, our first task was to gather funds before any of them would take us seriously.”

The 2021 Croke Park to Ballycumber walk was the start with 115 locals participating and raising €105,000. “On the day of the walk in September, each participant brought out neighbours, friends, and family to take part in the walk with us. A proper community day. You gathered a whopping €105,000, which is an unbelievable achievement for a relatively small community. Please give yourselves a round of applause.”

Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan recalled meeting the Ballycumber committee along with Colm Cummins and Dervill Dolan during their election campaign during 2019.

“ I was just thinking back to four years ago when myself and DervilL Dolan, Colm Cummins, and a couple of us came out to meet Ballycumber and a number of other clubs when we were looking to get elected into positions on the County Board and we got a good grilling from the lads the same evening, I can tell you that. They wanted to know all our plans, and we outlined our plans with the future, and we would’ve had a good chat with the lads about their plans, ambitions, and about providing facilities, and about wanting to get back to the top in both club and county, and for every club to do their bit. I think we got our answer there this evening. this is an unbelievable development for a small community, and you pulled together, and Vinny has thanked everyone that’s involved.

“It just struck me sitting down listening, the amount of people and organisations, all Offaly based, through the Local Development, through the Offaly Sports Partnership, through the Offaly politicians, through the GAA, through everybody, all the community groups. It just struck me what can be done when people are ambitious and they’re in organisations for the right reasons. Vinny, and all the committee, I just want to warmly congratulate you and everyone in the community for producing such a world class facility here in Ballycumber.

Mr Duignan added: “It’s not just a facility for Ballycumber it’s a facility for all of Offaly, for all your neighbouring parishes and clubs, but also for Offaly GAA and already Vinny and the club have been onto Offaly offering the facility here, and with climate change and with everything else, I think this will be an invaluable asset, particularly during the winter months, so thanks very much for making the facility available to Offaly GAA as well.

“Since I became chairman and since I became elected, Ballycumber have been hugely supportive of what we’ve been trying to do in Offaly, and while I have the chance tonight I want to thank the club for that, the whole county has come together behind us and Ballycumber have been one of the strongest supporters of myself and the lads and I just want to acknowledge that here tonight.”

He also noted the presence of former Ballycumber player and chairman and Offaly GAA chairman, Ollie Daly, who has been battling health problems lately. “Ollie is a great supporter of Offaly, a former chairman, he did a huge amount for the club here and Ferbane, and for lots of local community initiatives so, Ollie good to see you out and about, and thanks for everything.”

He also mentioned former Ballycumber and Roscommon footballer, Conor Connelly who collapsed and died suddenly while out jogging a few years ago.

“Vinny has mentioned everyone involved in the club, so just a couple of people on a personal level I’d like to mention tonight. Conor Connelly, who passed away a couple of years ago, I knew Conor very very well, it was a very sad occasion, he was a great activist in the club as well as the community so I just remember Conor tonight personally, I also remember Colm Quinn (Conor's brother in law and a former Offaly football stalwart), who is still with us obviously, he was one of the great footballers and a great friend that has given huge service back to Offaly again as recently as last year with the U-20s. Jim Kelly (head groundsman in O'Connor Park), who does huge work for the county in general, nice to see you here tonight. Liam Hackett, our healthy club officer in Offaly who does huge work in the background for the county as well. I just wanted to thank those few people who work for us on a day to day basis.”

Cormac Mahon of the Offaly Local Development Company recalled their initial meeting with Ballycumber GAA officers.

“We met the group, they outlined what their dreams were and what their plan was for this facility, and the one thing that struck us on the way back into Tullamore after the meeting, was that they had every angle covered from a committee point of view. They had someone in the construction side of it, they had someone in the banking side, someone in the community side. They really ticked all the boxes. They had all their angles covered, and it was obvious that it was going to be a success. So, it was great to be involved with them.

“I suppose we work with Offaly Local Development Company on the lead up of it, and the lead up involves rural development, and providing funding for rural Ireland and rural development and Ballycumber is certainly rural Ireland at its best. It’s nice that the funding is able to come to a rural part of Ireland and a rural part of Offaly and I’d like to compliment for the work you have done here.”