New chairman is a driving force for club
ALAN Moynihan took over as club chairman this year for the very first time and is finding it to be an enjoyable experience.
He was kicking a ball for the club when he was little more than knee high and after playing with the team for 20 years he retired last season due to injury.
He has fond childhood memories when the club played at Jimmy O’Callaghan’s field in Kilcummin and at the Nursing Home field.
“Over the years the club got stronger and the squad of players began to increase. Being close to Killarney there is always a pool of players who are interested in playing the game and in more recent years players from neighbouring parishes have also joined the club,” Moynihan said.
“We have a great back-room team at the club who are working hard behind the scenes ensuring the club progress from a players and facilities point of view. Our underage academy is also going very well with teams from under 9 to under 16.”
“The club always aspired to have their own playing facilities and it is fantastic that we achieved this and now have grounds that are the very best in the KDL.
“The big breakthrough came when we acquired the land for our two pitches which is now our fine amenity Kilbrean Park. An awful amount of work went into financing this project and to bringing it to fruition. For a small rural community it is something we are very proud of.
“We were honoured to be able to host the FAI Junior Cup semi-final between Killarney Celtic v Sheriff YC back in 2016 and that brought one of the biggest crowds ever seen at a match in the county. A lot of work goes into maintaining our facilities but Dave O’Leary who is the Facilities Manager is doing a superb job and he has a good few volunteers who are prepared to help him out when called upon.
“We have a good few unsung hero’s behind the scenes who are keeping the show going and recently retired players Paul Lenihan and Chris Egan have got involved which is brilliant. We are on the road for 40 years and our aim is to progress the club forward with total inclusiveness.
“Our main aim is to give everyone who wants to play the game an opportunity to fulfil their aspirations irrespective of what background they come from. We have a few new faces in our management committee this year which is great with Brendan Buckley coming in as PRO and is going a great job keeping our profile high in the local media.”