Kiltimagh GAA's gift to the next generation

My late uncle Mick had a saying: “Every place looks well on a fine day.” 

On Saturday last, the town and surrounds of Kiltimagh looked splendid, bedecked in blue and white flags and bunting, and the fine day brought smiles to the faces of the hundreds who turned up for the official opening of the transformed facilities of the local GAA club. To their credit, the club put on a magnificent show, with music, a barbecue, snacks, teas and coffees, all of which generated a carnival atmosphere on a lovely mild October morning.

There was a strong sense of pride and celebration as the club officially opened its new stand, realigned pitch and redeveloped grounds at Gilmartin Park. The opening was performed by Jarlath Burns, President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and was attended by public representatives, club members, supporters, and the wider community.

The event marked the culmination of more than a decade of planning, fundraising and construction - a community effort that has transformed the club’s facilities and provided what many described as a lasting legacy for future generations of players and supporters.

Master of ceremonies for the day was Seamus Corry, who guided proceedings with his customary mix of humour and warmth. Among those who spoke were Gerry King, chairperson of Kiltimagh GAA; Brendan Mooney, chairperson of the Pitch Development Committee; and Aingeal Uí Mhaicín, Oifigeach Gaeilge agus Cultuir. Each acknowledged the effort that had gone into the project and the community spirit that made it possible. Local parish priest Fr Michael Quinn blessed the grounds.

Gerry King said the new facilities represented “a milestone in the club’s history and a statement of belief in the future". He paid particular tribute to the development committee, led by Brendan Mooney, for what he described as “years of commitment, perseverance and careful planning".

Mr King expressed thanks to the contractor for the pitch development Niall Foran, as well as Kiltav Ltd, the builders of the stand. He also thanked Mick Regan who managed the project for the club, as well as managing the senior team, and to the many sponsors and supporters who helped bring it to fruition. 

“We are indebted to Gilmartin Catering & Hygiene Supplies and CMS Distribution, as well as to all the local businesses who bought advertising signs around the pitch. The response to our fundraisers has been overwhelming. This project belongs to the entire community,” he said.

Mr King also thanked the volunteers, coaches, managers, players and members of the public who had given their time to prepare the grounds for the opening. 

“Without that spirit of cooperation,” he said, “none of this would have been possible.” 

Introducing the GAA President, Mr Corry injected a note of light-heartedness, recalling that he had dreamed the previous night that he was climbing the steps at Croke Park to be presented with the Sam Maguire Cup by none other than Jarlath Burns.

“It was a fine dream,” he said, “and then my wife woke me up before I got to lift it.” 

Jarlath Burns, in his bi-lingual, unscripted address, returned the humour in kind, saying it was “the last thing I expected to hear in Kiltimagh — that I had appeared in someone’s dream". 

"If your wife hadn’t wakened you, God knows where that might have gone,” he joked.

Mr Burns’ tone quickly turned to admiration for what he saw before him. 

“It’s an incredible honour for me to come to this club,” he said. “I was blown away by the number of people here, by the organisation, and by the sheer impressive nature of everything I’ve seen in this development. You have excelled yourselves in what you have done.” 

The GAA president spoke warmly of the stand and its 250 seats, noting that he had found his name on a seat in the centre. 

“I was so honoured I took a photograph,” he said. “Now, I know these are sponsored seats, and I know someday someone will come along with a cheque for the last one. The big question will be whether my name gets ripped off. Let me tell you - I’ll be checking. The front seat in the middle belongs to me.” 

Looking around the grounds, Mr Burns remarked on the attention to detail. 

“There’s no way the clubhouse walls were this white two months ago,” he joked, “and I was afraid to touch anything in case the paint was still wet. These are the things we all do in clubs. We stay up late, we sweep, we clean, we paint. It’s the spirit that keeps our communities alive.”

The GAA President reflected on his own experiences visiting clubs across the country.

“I was in Dublin yesterday, then Sligo last night, now Kiltimagh today, and I’ll be back home for another opening tomorrow,” he said. “And in all those places, I see the same thing - community pride and shared purpose.”

As a fluent Irish speaker, Mr Burns said he was struck by how much Irish he had heard spoken in Kiltimagh.

“I’ve heard more Irish here than in any club I’ve visited since becoming president,” he said, calling it “a sign of the deep cultural roots that sustain the GAA.” 

He reflected on the meaning of local place names, linking them to history and geography.

“Kiltimagh, or Coillte Mach, means the woods of the plain. These names tell us who we are and where we come from,” he said. “And when I look around this area, I see the trees and the land that gave rise to those names. It reminds us that the GAA is not just about sport - it’s about love of place.” 

That love of place, he said, was the driving force behind developments like this one. 

“Our politicians trust the GAA with public funding because they know we spend it wisely - to improve the lives of people,” he said, before distinguishing between what he called “political entrepreneurship” and “social entrepreneurship". 

“In political entrepreneurship, you need finance, people and strategy,” he said. “But in social entrepreneurship, you add a fourth element - cause. It’s this cause element that makes people do things they wouldn’t otherwise do. It makes people devote their lives to their club and community. And that’s why the GAA is such an integral part of Irish life.” 

He said the work done in Kiltimagh was a clear example of this principle. 

“You had a dream. You had a cause. You changed the field, built a stand, and created something that will serve generations. That’s what the GAA is all about,” he said.

Mr Burns urged the club to keep building on its achievements. 

“All we can ever do is try to be better than we were yesterday,” he said. “If we keep that spirit alive, Kiltimagh will continue to go from strength to strength.” 

He praised the club’s inclusivity, saying it was “a place for everyone - players, families, supporters and friends". He also paid tribute to Paddy McNicholas, whom he knew from national meetings of the GAA, describing him as “a man who never missed a chance to mention Kiltimagh whenever we met at Croke Park".

The President ended his speech with a personal reflection, recalling childhood trips to Knock that always included a stop in Kiltimagh.

“We’d say three rosaries on the way, three while we were there, and three on the way home,” he said. “It was a long day, but a happy one. Kiltimagh was the last stop before we saw the spire of the Basilica, and it has always stayed with me.” 

He described the opening as a great honour. 

“For someone from a small club in South Armagh, to have my name on a plaque here means more than I can say,” he told the crowd. “When my term as President is over, I plan to visit every club I’ve opened - and I’ll make sure to check that my name is still on that chair in your stand.” 

After the opening, the Western People spoke with Brendan Mooney, chair of the development committee.

“Would I do it all again? Absolutely,” he said. “If you’d asked me two years ago, when we couldn’t get onto the pitch because of the weather, I might have said differently. But looking at it now, seeing the kids out there and the community coming together, it’s worth every bit of the effort.” 

The project began in December 2014 when Mr Mooney and fellow member Shane Gilmartin presented a proposal to the club executive to explore how best to maximise the use of Gilmartin Park.

“We weren’t using maybe a third of the ground,” he said. “The committee gave us the go-ahead to investigate it, and we began designing how to make the best use of the space.” 

Over the years that followed, the club transformed its facilities.

“We now have two full-size pitches, two floodlit training areas and a cantilever stand,” he said. “It took 11 years, with setbacks like Covid-19 and the weather, but we got there. It takes time - planning permissions, grant applications, finances - all before a shovel ever hits the ground.”

The improvements went far beyond the main pitch. 

“We put in new floodlights, drained the training area, upgraded the clubhouse, and redid the fencing and entrance,” Mr Mooney explained. 

He estimated the total cost of the development at around €600,000. 

“We had a good bit saved before we started,” he said. “We received about €200,000 in Sports Capital funding, grants from Mayo County Council, and we borrowed from Clann Credo which we will have to repay.” 

Despite the scale of the investment, the club remains financially strong. 

“We have great support - our weekly 50/50 draw is well backed, as is our €100 County Board draw. We’ve never had to cut back on what we provide for our teams or players,” he added.

Asked what advice he would give to other clubs considering similar projects, Mr Mooney was clear. 

“Get your finances in order first,” he said, “but the biggest thing is to have a committee with a wide range of skills. Don’t rely on the same few people. We had quantity surveyors, project managers, finance and business people - all of that helped us keep costs down and quality up.” 

For many, the day was more than a formal opening, it was a celebration of community identity and collective effort. The speeches had all touched, in different ways, on the same theme: that the GAA club is not simply a sporting organisation, but a social and cultural one, woven into the life of the town.

“It’s taken a lot out of us,” Brendan said, “but it’s given us even more. This isn’t just for now - it’s for the next generation.” 

For Kiltimagh GAA, the day marked both an ending and a beginning: the conclusion of a long and ambitious project, and the start of a new chapter in the story of a club that continues to look forward with pride and purpose.