GAA uses river water to keep pitch in good condition
WHILE the country battles the drought caused by the current heatwave, the GAA had to come up with a way of preserving the pitch at the county grounds in Aughrim ahead of last night’s minor championship match.
It was decided this week to bring tankers of water taken from the Derry River in Aughrim, to water the pitch.
‘We assessed the condition of the pitch and decided to engage two local contractors John Horan and Alan Byrne to draw water from the river in Aughrim and water the pitch with a tanker. We are not using mains water, but from the river as we are aware of the hosepipe ban,’ said Andy O’Brien, CE scheme supervisor at the County Grounds.
Mr O’Brien said that consideration had to be given to the hardness of the ground, which he said could lead to injury of the players.
‘It is as hard as a rock and this could pose a risk of injury to the players. We also considered the condition of the pitch and to keep it in the best condition possible, given these very hot and dry conditions,’ he added.
Mr O’Brien paid tribute to the CE scheme workers for their tireless work in maintaining the pitch in difficult conditions.