IN June 2021, Adrian O'Flynn stood in an eight-acre field in Clanncoolbeg along with more forward-thinking members of Bandon Athletic Club.

They shared a vision: this was their field of dreams, a place their club could call home.

Those dreams have now become a reality, as Bandon AC will officially open its new 400-metre all-weather athletics track this Saturday afternoon (2pm).

‘Having a base and a home where the club can have its athletes train on a regular basis is important,’ O'Flynn said at the time.

Bandon AC has achieved its goal – and spectacularly so.

Pictured at the site of Bandon AC's new home in 2021 were, from left, Susan McCourt, Michael Weldon, Adrian O'Flynn, Liam Crowley and Patrick McSweeney.

Its stunning new headquarters is a game-changing addition to the athletics scene in West Cork.

‘We’ve been on this journey for the last five years, and to see that vision come to fruition – that we now have our own track and the facilities to support athletes in West Cork – is a phenomenal achievement,’ O’Flynn tells The Southern Star.

‘It’s been down to a large number of volunteers, from designing and fundraising to getting sponsors on board.

‘We had ups and downs along the way, and we ended up spending money on things we didn’t expect. But in the long term, it’s better to make that investment to ensure the longevity of the track.’

Bandon Athletic Club members testing the new athletics track. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

It’s a home fit for a club that has produced three Olympians.

Thanks to the work of coaches and volunteers at Bandon AC, Breeda Dennehy-Willis (Sydney, 2000), Phil Healy (Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024) and Nicola Tuthill (Paris 2024) reached the biggest stage in the world.

All three defied the odds considering there was no athletics track in West Cork to train on.

‘When I was younger I always trained on the grass track in the Town Park,’ explained two-time Olympic finalist Phil Healy, the West Cork trailblazer who rose to become Ireland’s fastest woman.

It’s fitting that the Ballineen woman will officially open the track this Saturday.

‘There was about an 80-metre strip of tartan at Bandon Grammar that the club used, or once a week we went up to CIT,’ she added, highlighting how local athletes had to leave West Cork to access facilities.

Now they have a state-of-the-art track in their own backyard.

Irish hammer throw champion Nicola Tuthill will attend the opening, too – the new track is a short drive from her home in Kilbrittain. A hammer cage will be installed at the track in the months ahead.

In her early days, Tuthill practised in the town park in Bandon. If a hammer got stuck in the cage, she would have to walk up the road to Oakgrove House B&B to borrow a ladder to free it.

Now the rising star will have access to a top-class facility on her doorstep.

Bandon AC club-mates Nicola Tuthill and Phil Healy at the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony.

The club has also developed the talents of two-time Irish senior cross-country champion Fiona Everard and World Championship athlete Laura Nicholson and, at last, has the facilities to match the calibre of its athletes.

Last year, Bandon AC had 715 members, making it the largest athletic club in the county and Munster. This development is for them, and the club’s rising stars, like teen sprint sensation Adaora Nnemenka, as well as Aoife Callan, Eoin O’Callaghan and Leila Cummins.

‘There is a real sense of pride, especially when you see the athletes training on the track,’ O’Flynn says.

‘We’ve done a kind of soft opening, letting the older athletes trial the facility first. We’ve had the likes of Fiona, Phil and Laura train on it, and the feedback has been really positive – they all say how good the surface is.

‘Just recently we had all the younger athletes there, and they fully enjoyed the experience. You’re taking them from a hockey pitch – and credit to Bandon Grammar School for letting us use their facilities for so long – to an actual track, which is hugely beneficial.

‘This is a game-changer. What it does is give athletes something on their doorstep. They don’t have to spend time travelling to Cork, which could be an extra hour or more. Now, it makes it easier for people to decide to commit to athletics.

‘When the track is local, it’s less of a burden on parents and coaches. It makes that commitment easier, and that’s a huge benefit for our athletes and for all athletes in West Cork.’

Bandon Athletic Club Chairman Adrian O'Flynn on the new track. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

O’Flynn hailed the incredible work of all those involved in turning a dream into a reality. And the most satisfying aspect of it all?

‘For me, it’s that we now have an excellent training facility without financially burdening the club. We can stand on our own two feet and move forward without a significant debt hanging over us,’ he says.

‘That’s down to the fundraising committee, the lotto committee, sponsors, raffles, quizzes and all the events people ran on our behalf. Finding that balance was key – being able to build this while staying sustainable.

‘Grants like the Sports Capital Programme were also a huge help. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.’

Bandon Athletic Club's exciting new development at Clancool Beg taking shape in 2022.

Bandon AC is not finished yet. The field event area is closer than an indoor training facility, but this is a club that won’t rest on its laurels. Like the athletes it develops, the club too is always striving to be the best version of itself.

‘At the moment, we have the track, a discus cage, and hurdles are being delivered. The high jump is on order, though it’s been delayed due to events in the Middle East,’ O’Flynn explains.

‘We’re planning to bring in pole vault equipment and a hammer cage in the coming months, so by the end of the summer or early autumn we’ll be able to support all track and field events. We also have lights, which means we can operate during the winter.

‘Long-term, the vision is to have some form of indoor facility. We have plans for that, but it’s a significant investment, and we’ll rely on supports like Sports Capital grants again to help deliver that phase.’

Build it and they will come, we’re told. Bandon AC is proof of that.

Now, Bandon AC has a home.