Taoiseach unveils new facilities at local GAA club

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny visited one of Dublin’s most established GAA clubs last week to cut the ribbon at the openng of new dressing rooms and gym facilities.  

The Scoil Uí Chonaill GAA Club calendar has been a busy one over the last number of years. The club is enjoying a rejuvenation which has seen it make a resurgence to the top of the Dublin GAA scene, both on and off the pitch.

The club, which fields three men’s adult football teams in senior and junior, two adult hurling in intermediate and junior and two adult ladies’ football teams, as well as numerous juvenile football, hurling and camogie teams, has invested in a state-of-the-art dressing room and gym facilities to harness its growing talent.

Mr Kenny’s attendance marked the club’s commitment to the development of games in the north east inner city, as Scoil Uí Chonaill co-funds a GAA Games Promotion Officer (GPO), with the Dublin GAA County Board, covering five DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) Schools in the area.

“It is with great pleasure that I join Scoil Uí Chonaill in celebrating the opening of their new facilities at Clontarf Road,” said the Taoiseach. 

“This is a hugely important step, not only for the club itself, but for the communities which it serves; from the north east inner city, to Clontarf and far beyond as this tight-knit club’s membership spans the city. 

“It is not only an important reflection of the stellar work its members are doing in developing the club, but also just rewards for its players’ recent successes on the pitch.”

Scoil Uí Chonaill GAA Club was founded in 1950 by the Principal of O’Connell Primary and Secondary Schools, North Richmond Street, Dublin 1.

The club retains its strong bonds with the schools as they share grounds, facilities, colours and crest, which features its iconic stag emblem.

Scoil Uí Chonaill chairman Maurice O’Connell said: “Our club focuses on Gaelic football, hurling, ladies’ football and camogie, and proudly boasts two Dublin Senior Football Championships – in 1983 and 1986 – among numerous other league and championship successes. “We are proud of our long association with O’Connell Schools and Dublin’s north inner city, and also of our longstanding commitment to breaking down social boundaries and creating an open environment for all. We have an incredibly diverse, optimistic member base that works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the club moving in the right direction.”