‘THERE are always bragging rights at stake in the golf classic!’ Paul Goggin laughed as the Adrigole GAA Golf Classic draws closer.

Swapping the football pitch for the fairways of Berehaven Golf Club this Friday, May 22nd to Sunday, May 24th, parish pride will be on the line, the Adrigole selector quipped.

‘There’s great rivalry among the lads and, with it being held in Beara, you’ll have players from other clubs involved too, so there’s a bit of inter-club rivalry as well,’ Goggin said.

There will be something for everyone that weekend. The main attraction is a three-ball scramble, but there will also be a longest-drive competition, a kids’ putting competition and a closest-to-the-pin contest.

‘It’s all good fun. We try to cater for everyone,’ added Goggin ahead of an important fundraiser for Adrigole GAA.

Look at the developments in recent years. In 2020, the club installed state-of-the-art floodlighting at the pitch. Last year saw the completion of a fully tarmacadam walkway around the field. Adrigole is a club that prides itself on having top-class facilities for its members, the parish and the wider Beara community.

‘Fundraising is a huge part of every club, and the golf classic is a massive one for us,’ Goggin said.

‘The investment the club has made in the walkway and lighting is huge. It’s important for training, but it also benefits the wider community.

‘People use the track for walking, while the lights allow teams to train early in the year.

‘From an infrastructure point of view, the golf classic is vital. It supports everything from strength and conditioning to what we do on the pitch, and also helps us continue to develop facilities like the gym.’

Adrigole GAA's Golf Classic is on at Berehaven Golf Club from Friday, May 22nd to Sunday, May 24th.

Fundraisers like Adrigole’s golf classic allow the club to keep investing in its facilities, and that’s good news for the local community. One of the next projects will be to develop lighting specifically for the walkway, rather than relying on the floodlights.

‘Everything we do has one eye on success on the field and the other on being a hub for the community. In rural areas, you need that lifeblood,’ Goggin said.

‘We’re not just focused on the pitch – we run a festival in August, the golf classic and other events to give something back. We’re lucky to still have a couple of local pubs in the parish, but you don’t know what the future holds.

‘That’s why it’s important to keep investing in the club. If numbers ever dip, we still want a strong hub with facilities like the astro, gym, walkway and lights. It’s not just for players, but for the whole community.’

Goggin feels it’s important to give something back to Adrigole GAA. He spent five years living in Kuwait, but once he landed home five years ago, he didn’t hesitate to get involved with his home club again.

‘I grew up in the club. My mother was an officer and I played all the way up through the ranks,’ he said.

‘For me, the parish and the GAA club are the same thing. When I came back, I got involved again, coaching with the intermediates and helping on the committee.

‘We all benefited from the club growing up, so it’s great to give something back. It’s a special place and a strong community. I couldn’t picture myself not being involved.’

He also pointed to the role of Adrigole’s footballers in the golf classic, highlighting that they are the driving force behind it. That’s key.

‘We’ve a terrific group at intermediate and junior B level, on and off the field. They see how much the club supports them, so there’s real buy-in from them to drive the golf classic through sponsors and teams, and give something back.’

The Adrigole intermediate team, of which Goggin is a selector, has been knocking at the door in the county intermediate A grade for the past few seasons. They have reached the semi-final in each of the past three seasons, so taking the next step is an obvious target this year.

Rising star Conor Downing is a starter with the Cork minor football team that has qualified for the Munster final. At underage level, Adrigole has joined forces with Glengarriff GAA at U12 level for Caha Óg, while Adrigole and Urhan have lined up together at U14, U16 and minor grades.

‘In the short to medium term, things look bright on the field,’ Goggin said.

‘We’re very competitive at adult level and we’re lucky with the group of players we have – great young lads and young men, very committed on and off the field.

‘We’ve amalgamated with Urhan, and from U14 up we’re part of that set-up, which has worked really well. The lads are playing football at a high level.

‘You see players like Conor Downing at minor level – he’s a top talent with huge potential. Overall, we’ve a strong group coming through and a young adult team. If they stick together, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.’

And that’s why fundraisers like the golf classic are important. They raise funds that allow Adrigole to keep investing.

‘Off the field, we’re in a good place too. We’ve great facilities, strong community support, and we’re very well backed for a club of our size,’ Goggin added.

‘That said, if you’re not improving, you’re going backwards. So it’s about continuing to be innovative, broadening our focus, and making sure we keep moving forward.’