The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Club PRO Donegan: ‘We’re in a good place at present’
THE PRO of the Ballylongford club is Stephen Donegan and he is very pleased with the progress the club has made over the years.
He played for the team for a number of years at left back and when he hung up his boots two years ago he was enticed into helping out the club behind the scenes. He got to enjoy the experience and after a while he took up the post of PRO and has not looked back since.
He had been selling lottery tickets for the club when he was 12 years so he knew the people involved in running the club for a long time and was impressed by all the effort and self – sacrifice they put keeping the club going.
He was involved in the under age structure of the club from 1998 to 2000 and was impressed by what he saw and now he would like to see the game at underage level being focused on and get teams competing in the Kerry Schoolboys League.
“For a number of years the club had been struggling as regard players but this season we have 34 players registered which is a great move forward.
“Our five-year plan looking ahead is to concentrate on getting a good underage structure in place and further develop our facilities. We need our clubhouse to be fully completed the parking area extended and install a lighting system for training. We are very lucky to have our own facilities and the best thing of all is that it is fully paid for.
“Our fund-raising ventures have been very successful and we are planning to launch a new one when the season is up and running again. We will also be striving to get more people involved in the club and get more volunteers helping out.
“From a development point of view we have to try and make use of the two and a half acres of land that is idle at our grounds at present.
“I help out with the club in any way I can and I also cater for their needs from a publicity point of view. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to keep the club going and funds have to be raised to meet the running costs which are more that a lot of people realise.
“I have been concentrating a lot on the media side of affairs and we are using social media a lot to make people aware of what is going on as well as getting people to join our fund raising ventures online.
“We have come a long way over the last 26 years, but we must keep the momentum going and ensure we utilise our grounds to maximum effect and have structures in place to cater for players of all age groups.
“Micheál Dennehy has been the main driving force behind the club since it was formed and he kept it going through good and bad times and he deserved great credit for this.
“We are in a good place at present, but its onwards and upwards we must go as there is much more we can do to keep our club in the limelight and grow and prosper going into the future.”