Hi. I log on regularly to see whats going on but new to the board as a member and had a query on the following.
Am a lifelong member of our local GAA club which is in a rural area. Our club has mushroomed in recent years and are lucky to have high playing numbers. When you include juvenile camogie and two ladies football teams we have about 22 teams across the club. The club is the heartbeat of the community and like many other clubs there is terrific work going on in developing and promoting the games with all ages. We recently acquired extra land to develop our facilities over the coming years. On the strenght of a pro active committee and club lotto we were able to pay for this land up front. We have drawings complete and ready to go to tender in the coming weeks to install a full sized additional pitch with a walking track which will be of great benefit to all within our community. We hope to commence works in Feb 2019 and again we are lucky to have the guts of 110k to hand (club lotto savings and part sports captial grant which we sucessfully got last year) to pay for this job. We have not knocked on doors or ran any major fundraisers to raise all this money. We have always balanced the books year on year while maintaining our high standard of developing our individual players, teams and club as a whole.
The local National School is located beside the GAA grounds and has daily and unlimited use of the grounds (as it should). The school had a large fundraiser a number of months ago and is now applying for a grant also. The intention is to do a joint application with the GAA club and if we are lucky put in a wall ball with a astro area which will benefit all. School kids, club etc...
A major stumbling block at the moment is the request from two local soccer clubs to use the facility for training purposes for x amount of hours per week and i presume to hold organised juvenile soccer games.
There is a couple of things to bear in mind. This is not a community field. The facility will be within GAA grounds. The land is owned by the GAA. Soccer is changing to run its competitions in line with GAA calander.
There has been numerous meetings about this. All agree and want an astro area (with ball wall) which will benefit the kids and club as a whole. Alot don't want soccer in GAA grounds as there is a fear that long term it will have an impact on the GAA Club. Some cant understand what it cannot be sanctioned.
The GAA club has sought advise from Croke Park and Provincial level and they are advising against.
In a nutshell do any of ye know of any GAA Clubs who have soccer using their facilities orhave clubs opened up their doors before that have had a negative experience. Is this a non runner? Can it be done etc?
All feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.
Am a lifelong member of our local GAA club which is in a rural area. Our club has mushroomed in recent years and are lucky to have high playing numbers. When you include juvenile camogie and two ladies football teams we have about 22 teams across the club. The club is the heartbeat of the community and like many other clubs there is terrific work going on in developing and promoting the games with all ages. We recently acquired extra land to develop our facilities over the coming years. On the strenght of a pro active committee and club lotto we were able to pay for this land up front. We have drawings complete and ready to go to tender in the coming weeks to install a full sized additional pitch with a walking track which will be of great benefit to all within our community. We hope to commence works in Feb 2019 and again we are lucky to have the guts of 110k to hand (club lotto savings and part sports captial grant which we sucessfully got last year) to pay for this job. We have not knocked on doors or ran any major fundraisers to raise all this money. We have always balanced the books year on year while maintaining our high standard of developing our individual players, teams and club as a whole.
The local National School is located beside the GAA grounds and has daily and unlimited use of the grounds (as it should). The school had a large fundraiser a number of months ago and is now applying for a grant also. The intention is to do a joint application with the GAA club and if we are lucky put in a wall ball with a astro area which will benefit all. School kids, club etc...
A major stumbling block at the moment is the request from two local soccer clubs to use the facility for training purposes for x amount of hours per week and i presume to hold organised juvenile soccer games.
There is a couple of things to bear in mind. This is not a community field. The facility will be within GAA grounds. The land is owned by the GAA. Soccer is changing to run its competitions in line with GAA calander.
There has been numerous meetings about this. All agree and want an astro area (with ball wall) which will benefit the kids and club as a whole. Alot don't want soccer in GAA grounds as there is a fear that long term it will have an impact on the GAA Club. Some cant understand what it cannot be sanctioned.
The GAA club has sought advise from Croke Park and Provincial level and they are advising against.
In a nutshell do any of ye know of any GAA Clubs who have soccer using their facilities orhave clubs opened up their doors before that have had a negative experience. Is this a non runner? Can it be done etc?
All feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.