Castlemaine Action Group is made up of well educated and intelligent people of all age groups and is NOT made up of Old Ladies as someone commented. If they came to the meeting in Castlemaine last Friday night they would know this! If Milltown Committee were made up of such well educated people why haven't they engaged in negotiations yet?? To date Castlemaine have received no response to their numerous letters inviting them to sit down around a table and talk and try and reach a resolution to this.

The Castlemaine Action Group and Soccer Club have made every effort to get Milltown Officials to sit down around a table and talk but have received no reply from them on this matter.

The reason they won't talk is simple, they know that they allowed other sports to be played there down through the years and now they are trying to grab it back all these years later. The Spring Walker family left it to the 'People of Castlemaine'. Everybody knows this is true.

I would like the people of Milltown to be fully aware that its Milltown that is not engaging in talks/negotiations. And until they do decide to talk there will be no resolution to the problem.

ProCastlemaine (Kerry) - Posts: 9 - 06/04/2009 18:48:38    249978

As far as i am aware there are no laws to prevent you ploughing your own field !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 06/04/2009 19:13:51    249995

Sure they let soccer in croke park so what is the difference money would it be .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 06/04/2009 19:18:19    250003

When I use well educated I mean people who can sit down discuss and formulate a strategy. Clearly the majority of people at that meeting were from Keel. Someone is going to go on about the parish keel and Kiltalagh etcetc thats not the point I am making, comments like over my dead body been made by a commitee member isnt a good platform to carry on into negotations. It was clear to see that the majority Castlemaine contingent playing for Milltown Castlemaine want to see a pitch developed. It is clearly a soccer issue and cannot be denied. A speaker on the radio saying I dont want to go into Tralee I want to play in our field. No one is denying there will be slight inconvience for the community centre while the field is been done, but ater that you name it dog trials sheep trials easter camps athletics will be played there only one activity cannot. Soccer.As for Milltown Castlemaine GAA members attending, an invite was never recieved and the behaviour of some peope to boo a well respected member of the community is appaling when they didnt like what they seen.
I believe if the Action Group got an active team to talk to the GAA (I believe the GAA must talk as well) things could move in the right dirction. Remember at the Milltown Castlemaine AGM people spoke at that that were not members from the action group which they were not entitled to if not a member, but fair played to the table they left them have there say. That meeting proved to me roaring and treats do not solve anything only alienate. So you see where I am coming from.
Only people happy with this is Keel. Right now burying heads in sand wont work, the soccer club could come out of this with something if they play there cards righ. I am from Castlemaine and proud to say I played for the Green of Milltown Castlemaine.

milltownsupport (Kerry) - Posts: 85 - 07/04/2009 00:01:56    250330

milltownsupport you all have our support. Best of luck with your redevelopment.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 07/04/2009 08:59:49    250427

Some "lucky lad" will make a few quid picking stones from The Field now

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 07/04/2009 10:07:24    250485

Have the soccer crowd any pitches of their own ? Apparently they charge plenty to get into their matches so where does their money go ? Every little parish in the country has a G.A.A. pitch and most have brilliant clubhouses and dressingrooms. Why ? Because the money is put back into the developments !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 07/04/2009 10:17:32    250497

Just wondering is it common for GAA clubs to allow soccer teams use their facilities. I was driving around a couple of weeks ago up the country and saw a soccer game being played on a GAA pitch. I didn't think this happened.

solo (Kilkenny) - Posts: 314 - 07/04/2009 10:28:19    250509

This situation is getting worse, why arent croke park making a statement they have no right to kick any team out of their home no matter what sport it is, the gaa should re house the club if they intend on re developing the pitch, the soccer club have been there for two decades-its so unfair that they are being kicked out of their homeground, if the shoe was on the other foot and another party were trying to take over land from the gaa there would be uproar, just because the team in question play soccer its a different story and suddenly all these shallow minded "gaa people" crawl out of the woodwork with their snide comments and be totally against soccer.I do love gaa and i am a kerry follower but i think the gaa made the wrong decision this time......

lady33 (Kerry) - Posts: 5 - 07/04/2009 14:52:37    250873

Yep it is getting worse. If you read my post on Kerry forum, I said the GAA now needs to help the soccer club. Maybe find a pitch some financial contribution, there only my suggestions. As a Castlemaine person, I am sick of the lies been spread. People of Castlemaine parish (Not part of Keel or part of Milltown border) are split 50 50 I believe, . Most of Castlemaine lads not all with Milltown Castlemaine support to have new facilities. The Soccer Club like it or not is te dominating agenda on this, if they get a committee together fomulate a plan they could come out of this with a pitch and maybe facilities. Remember the Milltown Castlemaine and Castlemaine F have up to 8 or 9 dual players and a good few from Milltown.

milltownsupport (Kerry) - Posts: 85 - 07/04/2009 15:13:17    250902

yes they have a right to kick people out as it is not their home. They do not own it. The GAA own the pitch ans so they can do as they like and egveryone should support them in developing their facilities.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 07/04/2009 15:31:10    250937

If they decide to sow fodder beet in it, i would like to to be considered for the thinning of same.

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 07/04/2009 20:24:06    251275

Milltownsupport you would want to get your facts right before coming on here telling people whats what. Il give you a few pointers.
1) Milltown not in the parish of Castlemaine yet claiming a pitch there.
2) Why do you think Keel people were at the meeting, oh thats right because they are in the parish of Castlemaine and guess what you are not
3) Keel are an intermediate club the same as Milltown Castlemaine so get off your high horse with this talk of Keel being a novce club.
4) Keel are entitled to Castlemaine players. Why? same parish again there buddy, find out what the GAA is founded on. Do some homework and find out what the other half to Milltown parish is. I think youll find its not Castlemaine.
5) Majority of peole at meeting were Castlemaine/Keel people because it is a local issue, nothing to do with Milltown people who arent in the parish.
6) 70 years of history for the people of Castlemaine using that field and the GAA had feck all to do with it. Just because your trying to become the new Laune Rangers doesnt entitle ye to bully the local people and steal what is rightfully theres.
7) Finally you mentioned deeds. Ye may have them but how were they got? Was there a public meeting in the Castlemaine area? NO. Trustees of pitches are supposed to be elected democratically, was this done? Maybe amongst the Milltown club but what yer forgetting is that the field was never left to Milltown.
8) It says it all when your own club members and players are opposed to what is going on

RedMist (Kerry) - Posts: 9 - 08/04/2009 11:39:36    251782

Tom1916
County: Armagh
Posts: 391

yes they have a right to kick people out as it is not their home. They do not own it. The GAA own the pitch ans so they can do as they like and egveryone should support them in developing their facilities.
______________________________________________________________

Tom1916, you don't know what you're talking about so I'd advise you to keep out of this. The GAA doesn't own the pitch. Neither do the soccer club or any club for that matter. Land ownership/use is the issue here. This will probably have to be settled in a court of law.

For anyone with any interest in this issue, please see the Kerry forum board also.

3inarow08 (Kerry) - Posts: 2455 - 08/04/2009 12:04:44    251825

sounds to me like it's a community field and GAA in typical underhand way have decided that sprotsfield = GAA field .... the trustees of the field were GAA men that does not give anyone the right to prevent all sports from being played there...i'v no problem with developing the field as a community field for the community of KEEL and catslmaine, and Milltown which is in another parish can build there owwn GAA HQ in a field that belongs to them... how would Millford feel so if we deceided to head over and dig up there field?? or develop it as they are calling it?? surley if it is an GAA field then KEEL are more entitled to it than Millford , the issue is not about soccer , though they are affected by this i.e there playing surface being destroyed in hte middle of the night...a surface they have maintained for some 30 odd years with minimal resources.

i would like to open the can or worms further by looking at who will be developing the field what contractors builders and what part of the land are they selling and to who.....it will eventually come down to euros as it always does...i won't be surprised if the so called "trustees" are infact the ones who will benefit from the development...ask yourselves this question....why now? why develop it now? is there someone outthere that is feeling the pinch from the recession and needs to develop the field....its all so dodgy sneakling around at night,,,,it's shameful and embarrassing....even if it is a gaa field which its not obviously .... the GAA is a community based organisation and there are ways of dealing and working things out like this and there is no excuse for the way MIllford GAA and the proponents of the development have acted. its totally derisive and the line of "we have the deeds we own the field" does not stand....digging up a field in the middle of the night even though "we own it" come on.....the planning of the act must have been almost laughable and like a childish prank on "them ther soccer boys"....it was an attack on the community by a samll number of narrow minded and self-interested and self-rightious people....a mediator needs to be brought in to sort this out...ther are lads walking out on the GAA over this and no one wants that but such was the underhand manner in which this was approached that will be happening more and more if the matter continues.

Sportsfan100 (Limerick) - Posts: 1 - 08/04/2009 17:00:53    252231

Reply to MilltownSupport's many Comments!

Keel GAA are the second most successful club in Mid-Kerry for a novice club as you say??? So get your facts straight! Milltown showed their 'true colours' by not turning up to the Meeting last Friday night in Castlemaine to try and formulate a strategy as you say??? Instead Milltown are hiding behind the County Board to answer any questions in relation to this.

Finally, I think it is important for those of you replying to this from Armagh, Cavan etc., to be fully aware that Milltown have their own GAA pitch in Milltown but now they want to have 2 of them by taking over the pitch in Castlemaine as well. They have their own pitch its not like they cannot play GAA on a pitch. Stay off our patch ye have yer own. When Mrs. Walker left the field to the people of Castlemaine, Milltown had NO club as it did not exist when Mrs. Walker left the field to Castlemaine.

ProCastlemaine (Kerry) - Posts: 9 - 08/04/2009 18:52:31    252349

Give over about it !! The grass is starting to grow already !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 08/04/2009 18:54:29    252352

Hope this clears things up for some confused readers. Milltown/Castlemaines Statement: [url=]http://www.kerryman.ie/news/milltowncastlemaine-gaa-club-statement-regarding-pitch-issue-1702295.html

claregael (Clare) - Posts: 3 - 08/04/2009 19:20:55    252371

2nd Reply to MilltownSupport.

Milltown Supporter you said Keel are a Novice Club get your facts right and check it out because Keel and Milltown are both Intermediate Clubs and you having played with Milltown should be aware of that fact!

ProCastlemaine (Kerry) - Posts: 9 - 08/04/2009 19:21:32    252372

Cavan_Slasher
County: Cavan
Posts: 1648

252352 Give over about it !! The grass is starting to grow already !!

no prob, we'll rotavate it and have beet up in may

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 08/04/2009 19:35:39    252386