THE first phase in a €500,000 development by Smith O’Brien’s GAA Club at Killaloe will be officially opened this Friday evening at 7pm, by Munster Council chairman, Robert Frost.
The former Clare board chairman will open phase one of the development, the new 320-seat covered stand which will be blessed by Fr J Grace before the senior hurlers of Clare and Offaly will play a challenge challenge game.
The overall development includes a new clubhouse, incorporating a sports hall/community hall, new dressing rooms, hurling wall, meeting rooms, a spectator viewing stand, car parking facilities, all new boundary walls and entrance.
“Phase one of the construction is the viewing stand, which is being officially opened this Friday evening by Robert Frost,” chairman Anthony Rodgers told The Clare Champion.
“The community centre and sports hall are under construction and they are well advanced,” club secretary Tony O’Brien added. “We need recreation facilities for the youth and the elderly in Killaloe and when this project is completed, our club will be able to provide those facilities,” he said, before explaining the completion date will depend on how successful the fundraising programme is.
“We have a three-year fundraising programme in place, while we will be availing of a Munster Council grant aid. We have applied for sports capital funding. We are looking forward to a big attendance on Friday evening to welcome the All-Ireland champions,” the secretary added.
Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald told The Clare Champion that most of the panel will see action at some stage. “We will be operating like we did in Quilty last week,” he said. At the West Clare venue last week, Clare played a different 15 for each half.
Fitzgerald confirmed that neither Shane O’Donnell or Colm Galvin will play this week, are they recover from injury but he expects that they will both be back in action shortly.
“We are delighted to help out Killaloe. It is important that we help clubs whenever possible and we are delighted to do that. The clubs can see that we have co-operated with them this season. The players have been available for the Clare Champion Cup games to date and they will be with their clubs next week for the first round of the championship. We are delighted to work hand-in-hand with the clubs who appreciate our effort,” he said.
The Clare boss said he is “delighted to see the extent of the development in Killaloe. They are doing fantastic work and they have always been prominent in progressing things. I have a lot of good friends in Killaloe”.
Clare and Offaly, who are managed by former great Brian Whelahan, are well into their preparations for the opening round of the championship. Offaly face the might of Kilkenny at the beginning of June, while Clare take on Cork or Waterford in the provincial semi-final in mid-June.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.