Clare Camogie Board officially opened their new clubhouse at Fr. McNamara Camogie Park this Saturday with local players, administrators, representatives of both the National and Provincial Camogie Associations, and local and national Government officials all in attendance.
Chairman of Clare GAA Joe Cooney paid warm tribute to the Board on the work that had been done by so many to arrive at such a special day in their history. He spoke of the great working relationship between both bodies and wished Clare Camogie well for the future.
Minister for Trade Pat Breen congratulated all present on the work they had done to arrive at this day and he paid special tribute to the hard work done down through the years. In his address Minister Breen referenced the funding received and expressed his delight the Camogie Board were recipients of Sports Capital funding which helped hugely with the completion of the project.
Councillor Claire Colleran Molloy of Clare County Council who was deputising for Councillor Tom McNamara also congratulated Clare Camogie on their new facilities and ended by wishing the Clare All Star nominees good luck at the upcoming All-Stars Awards in early November.
Both the Camogie Association President Catherine Neary and Ard Stiúrthóir Joan O’Flynn were in attendance. President Neary spoke of the emerging talent within Clare and the strides the county at National level in the game. She warmly congratulated Clare Camogie on the opening of the facilities and wished them well in the years to come.
As Chairperson Joe Robbins paid tribute to all those who had worked on the building plans, the completion of the works and those who had helped in any way during the years. He spoke highly of the work done by his fellow officers which allowed him focus his energies of delivering the facility.
RTÉs Eileen Dunne was the final speaker of the day and she spoke of the love her father, the late Mick Dunne had for Camogie, and how following his death the family had worked with the Camogie Association to bring about the Mick Dunne Memorial Awards to acknowledge the work done in counties to promote the game of Camogie. She paid warm tribute to the efforts of Clare Camogie Board who have been consistent recipients of these awards. She wished Clare Camogie all the best for the future and then invited those present to join her out front for the official unveiling and the cutting of the ribbon.
