A design for life

Bob O¹Keeffe of Sportsground Services Ltd. outlines the importance of regular maintenance to GAA pitches and reveals how his company can be of benefit to every club in the country.

Unplayable pitches are part and parcel of gaelic games. How often have you made the long trek to a match only to discover that it was cancelled due to a water-logged pitch? This leads to fixture congestion not to mention the problems it causes for players and supporters alike who have travelled long distances to be present. Could it have been avoided? After all, we can’t control the weather.

Bob O’Keeffe has devoted most of his life to the horticulture industry and founded the company Sportsground Services Ltd. back in 1982. He has an esteemed GAA background having hurled for the legendary Glen Rovers club before enjoying a ten year spell with White Cross and, as a player, he too suffered as a result of poor playing pitches. When he began his landscaping business he always intended branching into this line of work.

“My company specialises in the design, re-design and development of sports and leisure grounds,” Bob explains. “It became apparent when I set up the company that it was a rather neglected area so with my landscaping and GAA backgrounds, it was a natural progression to get involved in this particular type of work.”

The firm provides a comprehensive range of services from which GAA clubs can benefit. Whether they want a new pitch installed or an old one redeveloped, Sportsgrounds Services Ltd. can solve the problem. “Our services may be selected for application to part or all of a project and the services we offer include advice and preliminary investigation, feasibility studies, project planning, detailed design, project management and technical supervision of construction,” he adds.

Water-logged pitches, as stated earlier, are a major source of concern for most GAA clubs. Bob though, regards them as something which can be easily avoided if enough attention is paid to the pitch throughout the course of the year.

“Our pitches don’t have to be as bad as they are. If proper maintenance work is carried out - such as proper drainage and heavy sanding - then the pitches will be in good condition.

“We carry out all types of drainage systems to the specifications of each club. Regular maintenance of sports turf is essential if the full benefits of these intensive drainage schemes are to be realised so we offer advice on top dressing, vertidraining, sand grooving and overseeding to ensure this happens.

“Drainage is installed using laser grade controlled trenching machines; side elevators deliver the trench spoil to trailers for clean and tidy removal. In many cases the pitch can be played on immediately after draining. An intensive network of surface drainage is then installed comprising close-spaced, narrow bands of sand/gravel interconnecting with pipe drains to form a rapidly draining network.”

Sportsgrounds Services Ltd., located in the Kilcully, White’s Cross, Cork, began working on a number of pitches throughout Munster. These included the transformation of Pairc Ui Rinn into the Christy Ring memorial pitch as well as developing five pitches for the famous Nemo Rangers club.

“One of the most high profile pitches we developed was Semple Stadium for the Centenary All-Ireland final in 1984,” Bob recalls. “We did a lot of refurbishment and upgrading on that - dropping highs and raising lows.”

The company has now spread its wings and has done work for clubs all over the country. “We did maintenance work for Erin’s Isle in Dublin, Longford Slashers, Kilmactomas in Waterford, the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, Piltown in Kilkenny, Cusack Park in Ennis and Portlaoise GAA club to name a few.”

As Bob explains, the work is not confined solely to gaelic pitches: “We do a lot of work for golf, soccer, rugby, even racecourses. We were involved in the construction of the Tralee Golf course, the Lee Valley Golf & Country Club while we re-constructed the fairways and tees at the Monkstown Golf club.

“More recently, we did drainage work at Musgrave Park for the IRFU. We also got the contract to upgrade the rugby pitches at Cork Con, Garryowen, Highfield and the Sportsground in Galway and are currently working on projects for Ilen Rovers in Baltimore, Co. Cork and North Monastery School, Cork.
Bob cites the advent of colour TV as one of the principle reasons his services are in such demand.
“People turn on their TV and look at the pitches the players in England are playing on and begin to question their own grounds. It has definitely increased awareness of surfaces,” he proclaims.

The compact nature of Sportsground Services Ltd. has enabled them to keep in close contact with the projects and provide responsive services to their clients. It has been their policy since the firm’s inception in ‘82 to maintain an optimum size, retaining the cohesiveness necessary to supply a personal service while at the same time ensuring the firm offers a broad range of professional expertise.

“There’s a lack of knowledge in the area of sportsgrounds and clubs need to know more. This is the reason I set up a consultancy where I can talk to each individual club, show them my plans and outline what I aim to achieve. It is company policy to delegate a project manager to all major projects so clubs know exactly what is happening.”

Sportsground Services Ltd., currently undertaking work at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, offers both a personal and informative service. Clubs can avail of the chance to radically upgrade their ground whether they opt for the sanding programme, the grass-cutting regime or the drainage programme. There is also a wide range of plant hire available, with or without operators, making it the best all-round service available. It’s no wonder Cork performed so well last year. They’re playing and practicing on the highest quality surfaces in the country.