MUCH like Drinagh Rangers on the pitch, its committee members have the highest of standards off the pitch too. So when the club decided to upgrade its Canon Crowley Park facilities, they went all in.
A new full-size soccer astroturf pitch on the north side of the current grounds is at the centre of the club’s game-changing new development, but there is more to this exciting project – there will be a surrounding floodlit walkway around the two pitches (new astro and current main pitch) while the club plans to build a new enclosed garden area with seating, as well as new sheds by the garden area.
It’s an ambitious project that matches the ambition of this local soccer club.
‘In 2022 a few of us set up a development group to decide what we need to do to future-proof the club, such as, for example, putting lights in the car park,’ explains Shane Connolly.
‘Pretty quickly, and given that our teams have been doing well at underage and junior levels, we had a discussion to see what we can do to move this club to the next level, and an astro pitch is the way we decided to go.
‘When we agreed that we would build an astro pitch, we decided to make it a full-size astro. We wanted to encompass a lot around that. Drinagh is a very community-based village; when there is a soccer match on a Sunday, nearly everyone goes. We are building a walkway around the pitch and a community garden, which is a decking area so when parents drop off their kids for training on a Saturday morning, this will be a seated area where they can watch the kids and chat with each other.’
Boosted by a Sports Capital Grant of €157,801, as well as a Cork County Council Clár grant of €32,670, this project has received much-needed funding, and the backing from the local community is turning this dream into a reality.
Numerous fundraising events have been held, with more lined up the months ahead, including the attention-grabbing Quid Games, as well as the Drinagh 300 draw.
‘This was initially a ten-year plan, then moved to a five-year plan, so while we are waiting for our Sports Capital Grant to come through, we applied for a Clár grant from the council, so we got almost €33,000 for the community garden area,’ Shane Connoll explained.
‘The work is continuing: we have the sheds put in, we have the western side of the pitch all flattened, so the access up to the astro and almost one side of the walkway is done.
‘As well as the Sports Capital Grant, we have a few exciting fundraisers to come, including Quid Games, which is a joint fundraiser between Drinagh Rangers and Clann nn nGael GAA Club. If everything goes according to plan, and given the great support from the community, there is a hope that we will have an astro pitch in 12 months. We’ve a lot of work done, but a lot still to do.’
Drinagh Rangers’ success in both the West Cork League – both men’s and women’s teams – and the West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League will now be matched by top-class facilities at Canon Crowley Park.
‘This is for our kids, and for the future,’ Shane Connolly explains.‘What people really appreciate is that it's not just an astro pitch, it’s the walkway around it, it’s the garden, this has something for everyone.
‘The astro will be for everyone in the parish, we will be renting it out to clubs, both football and soccer; there will be a foldable GAA goal there too so GAA clubs can use it if they wish. It’s a big project, a big ambition. We get great support from within the parish and this will be something for everyone to be proud of once it’s finished.’
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Check out Drinagh Rangers’ social media channels for more information on the club’s fundraisers
