Friday, January 18 last was a significant date in the history of Tubberclair GAA as it marked the unveiling of their new state-of-the-art floodlights. Park Committee member Eamonn Fagan explains the background to the new facility. A groundbreaking venture took place in Tubberclair last January when the club staged an inter-county match under their new floodlights. The footballers of Westmeath and Kildare met to mark the 'switching on' of the new facility, which was performed by local TD Mary O'Rourke. Floodlighting is a relatively new phenomenon in the GAA and Tubberclair now holds the distinction of being the first club in Westmeath to stage an inter-county match in such conditions. The facility is seen as a major step forward for Tubberclair, enabling games to be played under lights during the winter and spring months. "It's definitely the way forward," says former Secretary and Park Committee member Eamonn Fagan. "Rugby and soccer have already gone down this road and it's the obvious step for us to take. There are huge advantages to having a floodlit venue and we're delighted with the way things turned out." Two local contractors, Barney Cassells and Frank Dempsey, installed the floodlighting in Tubberclair. Barney did the groundwork while Frank was the electrical contractor, using Philips equipment to provide the lighting. Eamonn informs us that the project was first mooted at the AGM in 2000 but it wasn't until last year that it finally got the go-ahead. "Lights were first mentioned at the AGM two years ago. We already had temporary lights but it was proposed that we get better ones. Peter Elliott, the Park Chairman, began researching various options like the strength of the lights and the number of poles required. He visited Gracefield's grounds in Offaly and a couple of other floodlit venues and decided that we would use four poles on either side of the pitch, with three lights on each pole. Two lights on each pole would've been a good job but we knew three lights would be a great job. "A design was then prepared and completed within a matter of weeks. The design covered the mounting arrangements and the aiming angles required for each projector. Aiming floodlights accurately is critical if the uniformities set are to be met and spill light kept to an absolute minimum. "There were a number of other factors that had to be taken into consideration before work could begin. In contemplating such a move, players must be the first priority, in that they have to be able to see properly. Also, referees and officials must be able to follow the play and make accurate decisions. "Then there's the spectators, who must be able to get to their place in comfort, see the game in comfort and be able to leave in safety and comfort. We realised that it would be difficult to compete with afternoon matches but we also felt that Wednesday or Friday night matches would prove extremely popular, not just from the novelty aspect, but from the point of view that floodlit games create their own unique, almost cosy atmosphere." In Westmeath it has been decided that all under-21 football championship games will be played under lights so Tubberclair's grounds will see plenty of action. It is expected that other competitions will soon follow suit, with a floodlit league expected to emerge in the coming years. Floodlit sport is now routine the world over. It's 123 years since the first ever floodlit football match took place in Sheffield, England, while in the US, baseball games were illuminated as far back as 1880. Australian Rules, cricket and even golf are now being played under unnatural light. While the GAA has always been slow to embrace new concepts, the signs are that it is definitely coming around to the idea. At county level, the extremely congested season would be greatly relieved by an extension of the programme beyond daylight hours. Most important of all, money is being made available by the department of Tourism and Sport to put such lighting in place. "The whole project cost us approximately £65,000, including the ball-stoppers at the back of both goals," Eamonn continues. "Fortunately, we received a grant of £25,000 from the National Lottery and £11,300 from the Leinster Council. The rest of the money was raised locally through the club lotto. "We could've done it for cheaper but we wouldn't have the same facilities as we do now if we had adopted that approach. Peter Elliott kept insisting that if we were going to do it, we'd do it right. The grant we received from the National Lottery gave us to foundation to go and do a proper job so that's what we did." Eamonn is quick to point to the voluntary work done by so many locals, who freely gave of their time on three successive Saturdays in preparation for the final phase of the project. The other members of the Park Committee that he is grateful to are Peter Elliott, Martin Mullins and Alan Keegan, while chairman Paddy Sammon, secretary Thomas Doogan and the rest of the club's committee were also instrumental in the completion of the new facility. While Eamonn and his fellow committee members were busy developing their grounds, the club's intermediate team were struggling to make an impression in last season's championship. They failed to make it to the playoff stages having lost important games to Ballymore, Maryland and Shandonagh. "It wasn't one of our most memorable years," Eamonn concedes. "We found it tough against teams we had expected to do better against. But we were hit with a number of injuries to key players too. Fergal [Wilson] missed most of the season with a broken wrist he sustained playing for Westmeath against Mayo and he was a huge loss to us. If we harbour any ambition of winning an intermediate championship then we need our best fifteen out on the pitch and that didn't happen for various reasons last year." How does he think they'll fare this time around? "If we avoid serious injuries then they've got as good a chance as anyone else. We've a very young team and they'll be a year older and a year wiser than they were last year. At the end of the day though it's up to the players themselves and if they're prepared to work hard then they'll be rewarded for it because they've definitely got the talent." Tubberclair have appointed Danny Sammon as their manager for the coming year and he comes in with a proven track record. He guided the club to minor success in 2000 and to the under-16 final two years previous to that. "He has done wonders for the club at juvenile level so he was the obvious candidate for the job," Eamonn assesses. "We've got a tough draw again this year but I'm sure Danny is confident of reaching the playoff stages. Anything can happen after that." Danny Sammon will be the first Tubberclair manager afforded the luxury of floodlit facilities. The training pitch has also been fitted with lights so if the weather's bad he can still hold training sessions without damaging the main pitch. "The facilities are in place so the next step is to try and regain our senior status. We have an excellent underage set-up, state-of-the-art facilities and a manager who has already brought success to the club. It's up to the players now." That elusive intermediate crown would be the final piece in Tubberclair's jigsaw. Lights go on in Tubberclair Tubberclair's splendid new floodlights were officially "switched on" by the Minister for Public Enterprise Mary O'Rourke on January 18 last. Despite the heavy rainfall, hundreds turned out to witness a new era in the club's history. "It may be a bad night, but that's a good omen for this great club," the Minister remarked. Fr Mulvaney was also present to perform the blessing of the new floodlights. County board chairman Seamus Whelan provided a brief history of the GAA in the Tubberclair area, tracing back to the existence of the old O'Connell's club at the beginning of the last century. Club chairman Paddy Sammon thanked local men Barney Cassells (main contractor) and Frank Dempsey who carried out much of the electrical work, as well as Peter Elliott of the Tubberclair park committee. To the mark the occasion, Westmeath played Mick O'Dwyer's Kildare in a senior football challenge. Both teams were in experimental mood with the Lilywhites emerging victors on a 0-10 to 0-7 scoreline. Before the game, Paddy Sammon made a special presentation to Rory O'Connell in recognition of his All-Star award. Tweet

Most Read Stories