Boost for Ennis Hockey Club’s expansion goals

AN Ennis sports club which recently launched a fundraising campaign for the development of a multi-sport facility has received a boost which will support their goal for expansion.
Established in 2019, Ennis Hockey Club is the first and only hockey club in County Clare, and players currently have to travel for matches as they have no home pitch. It is the club’s ambition to build a multi-sport 2G facility in Ennis where they can play, compete and develop the next generation of people passionate about this Olympic sport.

The club has now been named county winners in the recent Texaco Support for Sport initiative, and has been presented with a cheque for €5,000 which will be used by the club to expand its membership and to cater for adults with mental and physical disabilities.

After only three years in existence, it has already shown enterprise and creativity with programmes for children age 5 to 18 and for adults familiar with hockey or new members anxious to take up the sport. To cater for older members and those with disabilities, the club has introduced a ‘Walking Hockey’ project and a ‘Hockey4All’ initiative.
Under the scheme, similar to that which proved successful last year when the Clare county award was presented to Shannon Jets Basketball Club, the presentation was made to the Club by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.

Meanwhile Clare County Council have said they are available to engage with the hockey club to work towards the provision of a playing facility after their need for a suitable site was highlighted at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. Councillor Mark Nestor urged the council to show its support for the club pointing out the growing popularity of the sport and the service the club is providing for the county’s adults and children.

He called on Clare County Council to engage with Ennis Hockey Club with the intention of providing a 2G playing surface at a suitable site within the Ennis Municipal District. He said that the club does not have “sufficient” facilities saying, “The fact is they have no home pitch and have to travel to Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. They are depending on clubs in other counties to have pitches available,” he said.

Tim Forde, Head of Sports & Recreation, responded to the motion, “Clare County Council is available to engage with and support Ennis Hockey Club in the provision of a playing facility for the club. It should be noted that the Council depend on grant funding being available from the Department of Transportation, Tourism and Sport under the Sport Capital Grants for the continued development of the playing facilities. These grants are open to Ennis Hockey club should they wish to submit an application once the call is made later in 2022. Clare Sports Partnership are undertaking a study on the availability of sports facilities in the County with the objective of this report being to identify deficits in order to target grant funding to meet the needs.”
Councillor Ann Norton praised the work that the club is doing with people with disabilities saying, “It’s hugely important that we showcase that all sports should be open to all abilities.” She also suggested that a meeting be held with Tim Forde to see what can be achieved.

Councillor Mary Howard commented that the club has been “very successful considering they don’t have a playing surface and a home ground.” She supported the idea of finding a site for the club saying, “once a site is identified the finance will follow, we need to identify a site and then chase the money”.
Councillor Paul Murphy voiced his support. He suggested that the planned 4g pitch in Clarecastle could provide a solution to the hockey club’s needs. However, Councillor Howard pointed out that the surface of a 2g and 4g pitch are different and the Clarecastle facility would not be suitable for hockey. Councillor Pat Daly commented that the Ennis Hockey Club are a “great asset to the town”.

Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy commented that the Ennis Municipal District and Clare County Council are “very forward looking” stressing the importance of “making the town attractive for up and coming sports”.

Councillor Norton added “every sports club would like to be able to invite their opposition to their home grounds and it’s a shame they have to leave the county.” She said that the county is fortunate to have Tim Forde, Active Ennis and Clare Sports Partnership and their staff with “expertise in such a variety of areas of sport working very well together” and expressed the hope that working together will find a resolution.