Exciting times for Tubberclair GAA on and off the pitch
Having recently won the Westmeath intermediate football title, Tubberclair added the U-20 Division 1 crown with victory over Mullingar Shamrocks in last Saturday’s final.
Although they conceded three goals, Tubberclair were generally in control as they claimed a 1-15 to 3-5 victory at Hogan Park, Moate - see report here
Tubberclair GAA has also announced that the club’s land purchase fundraising campaign has raised over €337,000 thus far.
In a statement, the club said reaching this milestone “marks a very successful few weeks” for the club and the local community. Tubberclair is basking in the success of the club’s intermediate and U20 teams, in addition to sister club Goldsmiths winning the Westmeath LGFA intermediate championship.
The club recently purchased land adjacent to its existing pitch as it embarks on a major development project. Describing the land purchase as “now debt-free”, Tubberclair GAA, along with Goldsmiths LGFA and the local action group, “have activated working groups to explore and prioritise community and club needs”. According to the statement, the club is “progressing development planning for shared-use amenities” and is “engaging with stakeholders, planners, and funding bodies”.
The club is continuing to fundraise and it stated that “all donations from here forward will be ring-fenced exclusively for the development of the agreed projects”.
The club said that the fundraising campaign remains open, with donations welcome, adding that “support is still very much needed to realise the full potential” of the project. “This is a five to ten year project, delivered in phases. From planning applications to grant approvals, from design to construction, the club intends progress to be steady, strategic and transparent,” said the club.
In further positive news for the club, Tubberclair GAA won the Best Community Group Award at the Athlone Chamber Business Awards held last Saturday night.
For Tubberclair, on-field matters now turn to the Leinster Club IFC quarter-final against St Martin’s of Wexford tomorrow (Saturday).
It’s a match which will see Tubberclair facing a club experiencing heady times of their own. In addition to winning the Wexford intermediate football title, St Martin’s won this year’s Wexford senior hurling crown and, on Sunday last, their hurlers dethroned the Leinster and All-Ireland champions Na Fianna.
The Downs was the somewhat surprising original choice of venue for Saturday’s game, as was the case for Tubberclair’s opening round win over Mullinavat of Kilkenny. However, the fixture has been switched to Dovida Lakepoint Park, home ground of St Loman's, Mullingar, and the throw-in time has been changed to 3.30pm.
The Leinster Council is now operating a stricter policy on the suitabilility of venues for hosting provincial championship games. The fact that a venue closer to Tubberclair wasn’t deemed suitable highlights the need for improved facilities in the south of the county and, in this regard, Tubberclair GAA has of course embarked on ambitious plans which will bear fruit in the future.
In other Leinster club games involving Westmeath sides, junior champions Ballinagore have a novel assignment against Barcelona Gaels on Saturday, also at Dovida Lakepoint Park (1.30pm), having been moved from Kinnegad.
Ballinagore became the first Westmeath club to win a Leinster title in 2005 and, having defeated St Joseph’s in the Westmeath decider last Sunday week, they will be hoping to make progress.
On Sunday, Westmeath senior kingpins The Downs face Tullamore at TEG Cusack Park (1.30).
Tullamore have won the last three Offaly senior football titles, defeating Ferbane in all three finals, and considering they pushed eventual All-Ireland champions Cuala close last year, they will surely pose a major challenge to The Downs.