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Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:20 pm
by azoffaly
I see on Midlands Radio 3 Facebook page (an excellent resource by the way) that Offaly have agreed a 999 year lease on land outside Kilcormac, Ballybracken, to build the centre of excellence. It's going to have 4 pitches, dressing rooms, meeting rooms and cost over €1m euro of which 80% will be covered by Croke Park. That's good news and will help with the ongoing work lads like Alan Mulhall is doing with the underage football, and of course it will help our underage hurlers as well.

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:43 pm
by I am Tony McTague
Arra, shur who'll use it?

Its too far west from the football strongholds of Walsh Island & Bracknagh and too far east or north of hurley strongholds like, eh........those places down there.

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 4:55 pm
by ryot
That's brilliant news,,,,,,,,

I live in Kildare and Hawkfield has been a great facility ( even if it put Kildare deep in the RED).

Planning permission can be awkward and might take a year to sort out......... Could be a chance of some Lotto funds,,,,,

The 200K that has to be raised ( and it will probably be a bit more before its finished) is a big ask,,,,,,

How about every Club Faithful member/ Supporter put up a ton or 2 to get it started. Could be done DD, tenner a month .....

I'm game,,,,,,,,,,

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 5:03 pm
by NewEra
What a great announcement and great investment on the Part of Offaly GAA and Croke Park. Well done to all who were involved in this.

I echo that Ryot...If an administrator or official of Club Faithful could set up a Fundraising Page it would be a great sentiment from Offaly gaels to donate little or large.

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:12 am
by beirut
Can someone point it out on Google Maps, doesn't seem to be showing up on it when I search? Cheers.

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:12 pm
by ryot
Out past the Church towards Boora & just before the forrested area ,on the right Ballybrackan Little& Ballybracken.

Just out the Blueball side, around half a mile, there is a cul de sac road which goes in to Ballybracken.

Which the land is on I dont know but probably the Boora one,,,,,,

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:28 pm
by beirut
Ah yes, the media has reported it as Ballybracken, but your good self and google maps have it as Ballybrackan. Thank you.

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/53%C2% ... !1s0x0:0x0

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:25 pm
by Truth as i see it
Y'know i think in the past there was no shortage of people on this site that would have been queuing up to give flack to the board and to be fair it was warranted in quite a lot of cases but i think this time the board and all involved with delivering a Centre of Excellence deserve some credit for the hard work they have put in to make this project happen, between this and getting the development squads in both codes Scientific fitness testing in the AIT it shows vision and bit of fore site by the board to bring Offaly forward and i say well done to the board for showing some ambition and for putting solid foundations in place to advance Offaly gaa 8) 8) 8)

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 1:56 am
by italia90
why isn't it in birr or is that where we draw the new borders???? :D best of luck to all involved

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 11:06 am
by azoffaly
Also well done to the Kilcormac Development Association, and the Offaly County Council for leasing the land to the GAA for just €1 for the 999 year lease. All pulling in the one direction.


Rumours that all Offaly hurling teams must contain at least 12 starters from KK are unconfirmed :)

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:17 pm
by ah lethimoutwithit
Well done to the county board on what they are trying to do on this, and lets see how many of the "Faithful!" dig deep in order to make it happen. Important that all of us support the committee where possible to try to make this happen.
Having seen the fantastic set ups in Wicklow & Carlow, we need this to happen and then we need to make it work with the support of all the clubs and the supporters.

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 8:35 pm
by ryot
ah lethimoutwithit

Where are the CW & WW set-ups ?

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:32 pm
by ah lethimoutwithit
Wicklow have a massive set up just outside Rathdrum, but is hard to get to. Carlow is out the Bunclody road and you turn off near the Fighting Cocks pub, couple of miles down that road.

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:42 am
by Bord na Mona man
ah lethimoutwithit wrote:Wicklow have a massive set up just outside Rathdrum, but is hard to get to.
Makes a change from Aughrim which is hard to get out of, supposedly!

Re: Offaly GAA Centre of Excellence

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 3:25 pm
by kingscounty
Good old Aughrim