Skibbereen building for the future

Club must fundraise to help build new extension 

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

SKIBBEREEN Rugby Club is embarking on a fundraising drive as it prepares to improve its facilities.

After another season of success on the pitch, the club is keen to ensure it grows and improves off the pitch too, and work is expected to begin on an extension to the existing clubhouse this summer.

Two new dressing-rooms with shower and toilet facilities form a central part of the plan, as well as a new access point to the pitch through a hall that will separate the new dressing-rooms. 

Also, the club will extend its balcony – that is accessible on the first floor – out on top of this new extension, with railings all around to provide a new, large area that will be idea for get-togethers and events.

‘It’s an exciting development for the club, says club chairman Kieran Hourihane.

‘We’re always looking at ways to improve our facilities and this is important as we build towards the future,’ he explains.

‘Our existing dressing-rooms and shower facilities are not enough, especially with the growth of girls’ rugby in the club in the past few seasons, so this is a necessary next step to make sure we can can cater for all our club members.’

The club has secured lotto funding of €59,500 and the overall cost of the project is €118,000 so Skibb rugby has to raise €58,500 for the building work that is hoped to be completed by this September.

This past season Skibbereen enjoyed another hugely successful campaign with the U18.5’s All-Ireland title success a major highlight. Skibb has enjoyed plenty of highs in recent times with Munster U16 and U18 titles, while the addition of girls’ rugby in 2017 was a major step forward for the club. It added a new dynamism to Skibbereen RFC and it’s an area that continues to grow.

The J1 men’s team achieved a very respectable mid-table finish in Division 1 of the Munster Junior League last season. It’s a young team that is hoping to build on the past year’s experience and challenge for honours in both the league and cup competitions in the 2019/20 season.

‘The continuity of the coaching team of Denis McCarthy, Mike Calnan and Mike Limrick is very important,’ Kieran Hourihane says, ‘and will, we hope, help bring our first team on to the next level.’

The club was also widely praised for its hugely successful hosting of a junior interprovincial game between Munster and Leinster in April. Skibb pulled out all the stops to put on a great show that day.

With a proactive, forward-thinking committee and plenty of talent on the pitch, now the club is ensuring that it has facilities to match the ambition of all in the club.

As the club chairman says, Skibbereen RFC is building for the future.