Multi-sports pitch for Nenagh College edges closer after successful Hockey Club Draw

By Shane Brophy

There is a great buzz around hockey in North Tipperary these days.

Not only are Nenagh Hockey Club’s teams going toe to toe against the best in Munster but the news of planning permission for Nenagh’s own multi-sport pitch on which hockey will be played, has given the Club a huge boost.

Hockey is the fourth most popular sport in the world with an estimated two billion fans and it has a strong history in North Tipperary since it was first played here in 1897.

The Club has grown exponentially in the last few years and the demand is such that new grounds were essential to accommodate the fast -growing base.

When the opportunity to build an all-weather facility at Nenagh College that could serve hockey and the wider sporting community emerged it was seized upon by the ambitious and tenacious committee. Planning permission has already been approved with high hopes on a critical regional Sports Capital grant from the government in the coming months.

Nenagh Hockey Club aim to use it to grow the sport, improve performance and participation especially among girls, disadvantaged and minority groups.

Also, it would provide a base for the club who currently have to play its home games at the Ursuline College in Thurles.

Nenagh Hockey Club has turned their efforts into fundraising to help bridge the substantial gap to deliver the project for the region.

The club also has a strong reputation locally for its programmes for young people with additional needs and more recently its work with refugee children.

The re-introduction of hockey into St. Mary’s Secondary School in the town has further added to the participation in hockey by school aged girls which is great to see.

As well as being a Regional Centre of Excellence for Hockey, the new facility will be available for rent to the wider Nenagh sporting community such will be its versatility and suitability for multiple sports with the pitch suitable for many sports and recreational activities including Gaelic Games, Soccer, Tennis, Athletics and more. This is welcome news for the local clubs that have struggled to train and play games during these wet winter months.

In addition, Nenagh College and other local schools will benefit from the availability of the all-weather facility on which PE, Sports days and other recreation can take place.

In their major fundraiser, Nenagh Hockey Club partnered with Pallas Marketing (www.pallasmarketing.ie) to run a €10,000 Leap Day Draw, and the community support for which was overwhelming, with all 750 tickets sold out well ahead of the deadline.

The draw took place in the Abbey Court Hotel Nenagh on Leap Day, February 29th last with all ticket holders invited to attend, and was won by Eoin Dillon.

€57,000 raised from the draw which will go towards the development of the pitch but more is needed and Nenagh Hockey Club continues to fundraise through their GoFundMe page at: www.gofundme.com/manage/MultiSportFieldforAllintheheartofNenagh, with the aim of raising another €100,000 to go towards the project.