Work starts on superb new facility for Glenealy Hurling Club

NOT even Covid-19 can stop Glenealy Hurling Club as they have finally started work on their brand-new development that has taken 10 long years from planning to breaking ground.

It might be only baby steps at the moment with the ground being sprayed and entrances made but it is a huge step on the road from when the first expression of interest was made over a decade ago to where they will ultimately end up, which is with a facility that will be the envy of the entire county.

‘It’s really started today. We just did a bit of fencing last week but we’ve sprayed off the ground today for the footprint of the pitch only this morning (Tuesday),’ said Glenealy Hurling Club Chairman Seamus O’Neill.

‘It’ll be great when we get it done. It’s in the heart of the village. When we put the pitch down it’ll be 18 months before we can use it so that gives us 18 months to work on our roadways in and our carparks and stuff like that. It’ll be all go,’ he said.

The pitch is being created by Garry Flood Landscapes and if Glenealy Hurling Club wanted someone with a hurling background involved then they have landed the perfect candidate with Garry’s brother and father donning the Wexford jersey over the years.

When the Cloughbawn clubman and his team complete the first pitch it will test even the fittest players given it’s dimensions.

‘It’s full size, 145m by 90, it’s maximum, two meters wider than Croke Park,’ said Seamus. ‘There would be too much space on that pitch for me, that’s for sure.’

The exact timeframe for completing the project remains uncertain given the current climate but given the community spirit and drive that exists in Glenealy and the surrounding areas it will most likely be sooner rather than later.

‘We’re in for various different types of funding. Hopefully the Covid doesn’t spark a recession, it’s all a bit in the air,’ said Seamus.