In the 123 year history of the Gaelic Athletic Association, the GAA clubs of Ireland have faced many challenges and changes but one that many clubs have come face to face with in recent times during the Celtic Tiger era and are continuing to come up against is the one of exploding populations. With the historically big towns and Cities having reached their population maximums people have had to move out of the Cities and towns to live and this has seen towns, villages and suburbs of cities that were once small parishes grow rapidly to cater for their new inhabitants. Of course this has all sorts of economic and social implications but it too has impacted hugely on the local GAA club Suddenly clubs that may have struggled to keep going and barely had enough numbers for years now have to plan for an altogether different future and cater for more and more youngsters with every new housing development that is built One urban centre that has and continues to grow and grow is Waterford City and one of its fastest growing suburbs is that of Ferrybank, and because of this they are a club that is actively grasping the challenge of planning for the future and catering for its blossoming numbers both now and in the future Ferrybank will be known to those of you from outside the area as being right on the Waterford/Kilkenny border, in fact so much so that the bottom goals in the parish GAA pitch are in County Kilkenny, while the top goals are in County Waterford. But the club has no identity crisis as it is a true Blues Deise club with a great history. While the club in its current guise is over 50 years in existence there is records of GAA clubs in the parish for over 100 years. During that time the club has competed in all grades from Junior to Senior at different junctures and has tasted county success at many different grades From once being a 'country' parish over the bridge from Waterford City the Ferrybank area now accounts for around one third of the population of Waterford City and this is predicted to spiral to a population of up to 20,000 in the next 15 years or so Some clubs may have been overwhelmed or left behind by such massive strides forward but not this club Over the past decade or so the club has put many structures in place. From developing its facilities, first the pitch and dressing rooms and now with their new state of the art THORNTON SPORTS hurling alley, and in the near future the plan is to erect floodlights and new dressing rooms Away from the field too the club is making great strides, and positioning itself to cater for the ever increasing numbers of kids who are coming to live in their parish. They have a coaching coordinator, John Burns, who is a qualified hurling coach, and who is bringing the other coaches in the club up to the highest standards, with particular significance being placed on the use of the new Thornton's Hurling Alley to ensure that all kids in the club are equipped with the necessary skills to play and develop into good hurlers from an early age. It is also Ferrybank's goal to ensure, with the Alley, that hurling is a year round sport and not just for three or four months of the year which may have been the case in times gone by The club is also extremely active in the community and is constantly seeking to welcome new families into the community and letting them know what the club is about and offering them a great way to feel at home in their new parish. The club has a regular newsletter that informs every householder in the parish what is happening in the local club, as well as working hand in hand with the local primary school and the Abbey Community College, which is a newly built secondary school in the area The whole challenge of moving from what might have been perceived as a 'small' club to a ever increasing community may be a daunting one for many clubs but with two extremely hard working and foresighted committees it is one that the Ferrybank club is embracing They too have a local model that motivates and guides them in their challenge, and that is the Ballygunner club In the 1970's Ferrybank and Ballygunner joined forces as neither club could field on their own. Then in the 80's and '90's the Ballygunner area (another suburb of Waterford City) experienced a population explosion. The club put the structures in place, embraced the change and has never looked back as it has gone on to become one of the biggest clubs not only in Waterford but in Munster, and also one of the most successful with a plethora of county titles at all levels including numerous county senior titles and a Munster club title It is now the belief of the Ferrybank committee that there is no reason why Ferrybank can't replicate the Ballygunner model and hopefully enjoy a bright future in Waterford GAA As well as successful adult and juvenile clubs Ferrybank also has a thriving camogie club in the last three years and plans are in motion for a ladies football club in the not too distant future which will further cement the club as a vital part of a blossoming community, which was so influential in the funding for the development of the Hurling Alley and is also so involved in all of the club's ventures including the hugely successful Peader's Summer Camp which has now been running for 12 years and is one of the biggest summer camps in the South-East The future for Ferrybank is bright and with this new unique facility at its centre their aim of growing with the expanding community and bringing hurling to the kids look right on track One of the committee's mottos is that 'Hurling is infectious' and so too is their attitude to build for the future and ensure that it is extremely bright for the local GAA club and the parish of Ferrybank. Keep an eye out for the name, you'll be seeing and hearing a lot more of it in the future. And that's a promise All the management and staff at Thornton Sports would like to congratulate Ferrybank GAA on the professionally organised and exceptionally well ran official opening of the Clubs new "Astro" Hurley alley by GAA president Nicky Brennan on the Sunday the 27 May CLICK HERE TO VISIT THORNTON SPORTS WEBSITE THORNTON SPORTS Tweet

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