The Donaghmore Ashbourne club is one of the most burgeoning GAA units in the country following the opening of its new grounds and the recent successes on the field of play. These days it takes colossal amounts of money to finance such outfits and the Meath club are fortunate to have a solid sponsorship deal with the local SuperValu. The store is owned by three people, Marie Mulroe, Fergus Reilly and Stephan Molloy and the latter spoke to the Royal County GAA Yearbook about the sponsorship deal and what it means to the business and the club. This year saw the official opening of a new facility at Killegland West on the outskirts of the town which included a new stand, two new pitches, clubhouse, indoor arena, function room, bar and multi purpose room. This is certainly good times for the club as they competed in the senior football championship in 2008 having won the intermediate title the previous year, while their underage structure is the envy of many clubs around the county. For the past five years, SuperValu Ashbourne has sponsored the club and Stephan admitted that he is delighted to be associated with such a thriving association. "The club has certainly made great strides, both on and off the field over the last few years. The new development is a credit to all involved and we are delighted to be able to give something back to the community," said Stephan. "We felt that supporting the local GAA club is the best way of doing that as nearly everyone has an involvement. The sponsorship has worked both ways as we help the club financially on an annual basis, while we rely on local support to ensure the success of the business. "This is something that we are more than happy to continue in the future as the Donaghmore Ashbourne club maintain their ambition to grow into one of the largest clubs in the country." As Stephan pointed, almost everyone in the country has an association with the GAA, especially in the more rural areas. The GAA has played its part giving young people an outlet, while it also helps local communities to bond. During the summer when the Leinster championship is in full swing there is plenty of banter among the locals as the Dublin border town has seen many from the city move into the locality to live amongst the Meath residents and Stephan admitted that it makes for some interesting slagging. "There is great banter at times between the locals, especially when Meath and Dublin are involved, but it is all in good spirits, which the GAA is all about." Stephan is indeed a Kildare native and keen follower of the Lilywhites and he is hopeful that Kieran McGeeney's charges can continue to make strides in 2009. "I'm a native of Monasterevin and I played underage football there, before work took me away. However, I still support the county and was impressed by their displays this year." With Meath meeting Dublin in the 2009 Leinster championship and Kildare one of the favourites to lift the title, there could well be plenty to discuss in SuperValu over the coming months! SuperValu can draw comparisons to the GAA in that prides itself in being part of the local community and Stephan revealed that this was an essential ingredient in making the franchise work. "Customer satisfaction is the key for us. We are always striving to improve our service and like all GAA clubs work hard to reach our goals. Business is good because we are providing a top quality service and it is our aim to maintain that." Stephan and his business partners Marie and Fergus bought the franchise five years ago in 2003 at a time when the housing boom was in full flourish and he admits that they got a lucky break with their timing. "We were very fortunate to buy when we did as there were plenty of houses being built in the area and it has now become a massive town. Really, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. The competition is fierce and I suppose that keeps us on our toes, which is important as we know what we have to do to stay ahead of our rivals." Having learnt the trade through SuperValu supremo Joe Nally for over 15 years, Stephan knows the business inside out as do Marie and Fergus and they have used this experience to ensure the shop maintains its high standards. Employing 90 people proves that SuperValu Ashbourne is one of the bigger businesses in the locality and this is a testament to the hard work of not only the management, but the staff as well. "We are fortunate to have a reliable staff that are efficient and friendly towards the customers, and without them, the business would not be where it is today." So what are the plans for SuperValu Ashbourne in 2009? "We are looking at revamping the store, but there are a lot of things to take into consideration before that goes ahead. "For the time being, we are happy to maintain our current level service and even though we are always looking at ways to improve that providing a decent service to our loyal customers is a priority." Indeed, 2009 is a big year for both SuperValu and Donaghmore Ashbourne as both strive to reach their goals on and off the field of play. Tweet

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