Gala opening planned for impressive developments at Offaly GAA club

YEARS of development and hard work will reach a high point for Ballinamere GAA Club when an official opening of their new main pitch takes place next Saturday, July 6.

A packed itinerary is planned for the official opening of what has been called the Jack Wyer pitch – commemorating an 11 year old local hurler and footballer who died tragically in a car accident ten years ago in 2014.

The recently formed Ballinamere-Durrow Camogie Club will play St Cillian's in an U-14 final at 4.00pm, followed at 5.30pm by a blessing by Tullamore Parish Priest, Fr Joe Gallagher and an the official opening by Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan and Joe Wyer, grandfather of the late Jack Wyer. It will be followed by a senior hurling challenge between Ballinamere and Galway's Turloughmore at 6.00pm.

Offaly senior and U-20 hurlers will parade the Joe McDonagh and Leinster and All-Ireland U-20 hurling cups at half time of the senior game while the Ballinamere-Durrow U-12 hurling Jack Wyer team will be introduced – the U-12 hurling Jack Wyer tournament was instigated in Autumn 2014 and has grown in participation and popularity since with 14 teams entered this year.

The involvement of Michael Duignan and Joe Wyer is particularly apt. The progress made by Ballinamere-Durrow minor club during Michael Duignan's term as chairman there a decade plus ago was among the catalysts for the development while the 6 acres that enabled this very impressive development were purchased from the Wyer family.

The land was purchased behind their long time pitch and was painstakingly developed to a high standard over the past few years. Its location on the Esker riada ensured that the pitch has plenty of natural drainage while a 900 metre walkway around both pitches, a playground at the front of their property, an outdoor gym and a gym upstairs in the Community Centre were all developed for use by the wider community in Ballinamere and Durrow – Ballinamere and Durrow are sister clubs with Ballinamere catering for hurling, Durrow football and they jointly oversee the Ballinamere-Durrow Minor Club.

On-field success at adult and underage level provided the spark for the programme of development. In 2013, Ballinamere had a great year when they won the Junior and Intermediate Hurling Championships. Ambitious development plans were outlined at a packed dinner dance early in 2014 – Jack Wyer was at that and sadly, his young life ended in a desperately unfortunate accident on April 4 2014.

With Michael Duignan at the helm, backed up by Pat Cleary, Stephen Ravenhill, Carina Carroll and many others, Ballinamere-Durrow also embarked on a great run of underage success in that era, winning U-16, Minor and U-21 Hurling Championships. Members of those teams have since established themselves on the Offaly senior hurling team while a younger generation also emerged on the outstanding Offaly minor and U-20 hurling teams in recent years.

This remarkable talent influx has seen Ballinamere emerge as genuine contenders in the Senior Hurling Championship and, as often happens in clubs where there is playing success, the energy and vitality has been carried on into facilities developments.

With Donal O'Brien then chairman of Ballinamere GAA Club, the 6 acres was purchased from the Wyer family and a hugely energetic and progressive development committee set up, chaired by local business giant Tom Doyle and including secretary Carina Carroll, treasurer, Pat Fulton, Vincent Molloy, Donal Molloy, Ollie Kelly, Aidan Doyle., Alan Scully, Eoin O'Ceilleachair and Andy Bourke.

Vincent Molloy looked after accessing the considerable Government and GAA grants available and Tom Doyle set an initial target of securing €1,000 from 100 people – this could be paid up front or in instalments over a few years and it exceeded their wildest expectations with 193 people subscribing from all parts of the parish. The tax rebate from donations increased the windfall and this fundraising drive was instrumental in the approximate €500,000 development being brought to fruition at a very high standard.

All parts of the GAA community in the wider Ballinamere and Durrow area rowed in. An underage ladies football club was established by John Lydon, Dolores Ravenhill, Gay McNally, Caroline O'Brien and the late Carmel Drea under the umbrella of the Ballinamere-Durrow minor club – with Aidan Doyle following on.

The more recent camogie club – Anthony Kearns is chairperson with Aoife Buggy secretary - also comes in under the minor club umbrella, meaning that Ballinamere and Durrow are trying to comply with the one club model now being championed by the GAA and the ladies organisations.

It has all seen a huge growth in numbers – back in 2013, Ballinamere-Durrow had 143 boys as members, it now has over 500 including boys and girls.

Ballinamere GAA Club has devoted huge time to the development and recent weeks have been hectic as they got everything into top shape.

Ollie Kelly had overseen some of the work in his term as club chairman and the incumbent, Pat Fulton has carried it on, running a committee that includes: Carina Carroll, Eoghan Buggy, Vincent Molloy, Marianne Murphy, Donal Molloy, Joe Molloy, Patrica Cleary, Ciaran Reynolds, Ruth Wyer, Colette Waters, Vincent Gilespie.

There is other necessary work to be undertaken. One of the first clubs to develop full floodlights in Offaly 25 years ago, some of the poles on one side of what is now their second pitch were blown down in storm damage in April. Those lights were nearing their end of life anyway but will now have to be replaced. The lights remain on one side, enabling night time training to take place and a full new set of floodlights is likely to be provided on their impressive main pitch.

All of that, however, is for another day and at the moment, Ballinamere are looking forward to Saturday's official opening and celebrating all the great work that has taken place in all aspects of club life in the past decade plus.

The official opening is being sponsored by Kilmurray Sand and Gravel, Mullingar with additional support from Edgewater Medical and Mick Waters, Harbour Bar, Tullamore. The main club sponsors are Molloy Environmental and Castle Paints who sponsored the stand – Ballinamere GAA wish to thank all them and their pitch sign sponsors.