Carbery GAA exploring possibility of building a 4G pitch in West Cork

THE Carbery GAA Board is exploring the option of building a state-of-the-art 4G pitch in West Cork.

The board has set up a sub-committee to look into the feasibility of providing a 4G all-weather pitch, which it feels will be a huge benefit to the GAA in West Cork.

This project has been in the pipeline and is not a direct result of the recent bad weather that has led to several postponements of local championship and league fixtures – but the wet weather has highlighted the need for Carbery GAA to have its own all-weather pitch.

The weekend before last, for the third time in two months, the entire Carbery GAA fixture list was wiped out because of the bad weather, and this has repercussions for the various championships. 

‘The recent cancellation of all games under the South West Board, and many under the county board, highlights once again the need for all-weather 4G pitches in every division in the county,’ Carbery vice-chairman Tom Lyons said.

‘The cancellation of games at this stage of the season has a serious knock-on effect on fixtures down the line, which puts boards, clubs and players under severe pressure.

‘4G all-weather pitches would be a big help right now by enabling the most important games to go ahead as scheduled.

‘Here in Carbery a start has been made on that project and a sub-committee has been set up by the Carbery Board to investigate the laying of a 4G pitch.’

The location of this proposed new 4G pitch has yet to be decided – but Lyons explains it’s a facility that would be available to host games at all levels.

‘The pitch would be under the control of the board, the venue to be decided, and would be available to the county board, the Rebel Óg, divisional boards, clubs and schools,’ he said.

‘It will be a costly undertaking but is there any option into the future? 

‘In fact, more than one such pitch is badly needed in each division and hopefully the Carbery board will get the full backing of the Cork County Board, the Munster Council, Croke Park and the government in this forward-looking and necessary project. 

‘The Carbery division will celebrate its centenary in 2025 and the 4G pitch, plus a permanent office and headquarters, as well as a divisional GAA museum, are among a number of major projects in the pipeline for that date.’