Clonmel Hockey Club needs a new pitch

Above - The Clonmel Hockey Club U-14 team that beat Midleton College in this year's Munster Final. Back, Andrea O’Dea, Collette Looby, Lucy Fitzgerald, Shauna Parker (captain), Beth Buttimer, Meabh Russell, Lucy Boland and Ger Boland (coach). Front Row, Caoimhe O’Connor, Abby O’Sullivan, Kate Flannery and Orla Breen

One of Clonmel’s most successful sporting clubs is appealing for support to help it secure its own pitch in the town.

Clonmel Ladies Hockey Club fields a team that plays in division two of the Munster Senior League and has reached the All-Ireland semi-final, a game that will be played in February. 

It also caters for a team at U-16 and three U-14 teams while the U-12s, U-10s and U-8s compete in a Munster blitz every month - yet it has to play all its home games 13 miles outside the town at Rockwell College.

Together with Loreto Secondary School and the Education and Training Board (ETB), the club has plans to provide a full-size multi-surface pitch on the grounds of Colaiste Cluain Meala on the Raheen Road.

 A Sports Capital Grant of €120,000 has already been made available for the development, which in total will cost €500,000.

 “There is significant demand for hockey in Clonmel but the lack of facilities has been holding the club back from expanding for the last number of years”, says club chairperson and coach Ger Boland.

The club has been steadily fundraising through table quizzes and cake sales, while in addition to the membership fee members pay each week to train and play.

Ger Boland says that the new pitch will require significant funding and it's hoped that the people of the town and the local business community will continue to support fundraisers that will be organised for the coming months.

“This is a project that will benefit the whole of Clonmel, as almost any sport can be played on the proposed surface”, says Ger Boland.  

“There isn’t a multi- surface pitch of this size in Clonmel or the surrounding areas and demand is expected to be high, especially in the winter months”.

With the prospect of securing a new pitch, Clonmel are looking forward to next season when they expect to have at least one additional team competing in the Munster Leagues, if not two.

As well as the high standard that's maintained by the senior team, the club's U-14s also enjoyed a very successful year, which culminated with their 4-3, extra-time Munster Final victory over Midleton College, Cork. This team has now graduated to U-16 and are currently leading the Munster League.

The senior side, meanwhile, is busy preparing for that All-Ireland semi-final in February when they will face either Belfast, Galway or Tipperary town.

New members are welcome to join any of the club's teams. The senior team trains from 8.30 to 9.30 on Tuesday nights at Rockwell.

“There is a big social element to the club and if you are new to the area it is a great way to meet new people and get fit at the same time”, says Ger.

The U-10s (at 5.30), U-14s and U-16s  (both at 6.30) all train on Friday evenings at Clonmel Rugby Club, while the U-12s train at the Loreto school at 6.30 on Tuesday evenings.

The club also has a Facebook page. 

For more Tipperary sport read https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/sport/349400/polly-murphy-scoops-munster-rugby-award-for-tipperary-and-fethard.html