Founded 15th Dec 1884
Club Grounds
Clara GAA and its development since its formation on 15/12/1884.
It was one of the clubs long held aspirations to own a field of our own, and it was to take 92 years for this to be finally realized when the club purchased its first field in 1976. Throughout the intervening 92 years the club had to rely on the goodwill and benevolence of local landowners for the provision of playing fields - Fox's field and Fleming's field just two among many. In 1976, a long established company in the town, Goodbody's Ltd, offered the committee the option to purchase, for £5000, a field known locally as the Sport's field. The decision of the committee to purchase was a unanimous one and at last the club had a permanent home. Another milestone in the history of Clara GAA Club had been reached. The pitch was named in honour of St. Brigid, the ruins of whose historic abbey is to be found in Kilbride in Clara. The official opening of Páirc Bride was performed by President of the GAA, Mr. Padraig Mc Flionn in 1980.
From a Greenfield state, the club set out to build dressing rooms, repair the playing surface; enclose the pitch and build a covered stand. It took four years for the club to reach the stage where it could officially open Pairc Bride on 31/08/1980. At the time of writing Pairc Bride is now in prime condition with a surface second to none in the county due to careful seeding, fertilizing and maintenance carried out systematically and on a regular basis.
With our increasing demand; 16 teams competing, school games, camogie and ladies football, the committee decided that we needed more fields, to cater for all our members properly and in 1996 (20 years later) we were fortunate enough to purchase 6 and a half acres in Kilcoursey, beside the convent from Aidan Mannering. The tasks then began once more to level, drain, and re-seed the pitches; One full sized and one juvenile. Dressing rooms were built and car parking provided. Floodlighting and ball stoppers were then provided at a substantial cost. Apart from our own resources; bingo, lotto, golf classic, etc , much needed funds were recovered through the national lottery and grants from Leinster and central council's of the GAA without this funding these developments could not have been achieved culminating in the official switching on of the lights by minister for finance Brian Cowen on 15/12/00.
The convent building & 12 and a half acres behind it adjacent to Pairc Proincias came on the market at public auction which would be held on the 28/03/2007 in the Prince of Wales Hotel Athlone. The club felt it was the ideal opportunity to consolidate all our facilities in the one location. Having sought permission from the Co. Board, Leinster and Central Councils, and a special EGM of all club members, the unanimous decision was to sell Pairc Bride and the GAA centre if necessary to part fund this acquisition if successful.The Clara GAA club was the successful bidder at the auction. The deal was struck for €2.45m.
The task began again to develop Kilcoursey while at the same time placing on the market Pairc Bride and the GAA Centre. Unfortunately adverse economic conditions overtook us and at the time of writing, both remain unsold. The club was lucky enough to have acquired €150,000 from National Lottery towards field development in Kilcoursey. This along with our own fundraising and GAA grants - Leinster and Central Councils allowed us to continue and complete our pitch developments. At the time of writing we have two full size championship pitches and 4 small pitches. Our No.1 championship pitch has been laser leveled, sanded, drained and seeded by Emerald Pitch Developments to a very high standard. The club will not use this pitch until next year for the interest of high standards and considering the expense; it would be a mistake to use it any earlier than spring 2011, in order to allow the surface to develop and mature to its maximum potential. Further work will be needed before an official opening date; crowd barriers, dug-outs, etc. In the long term it is envisaged to provide covered spectator facilities.
As an aside to our developments, the club has provided perimeter walkways, for the exercise and enjoyment of all members of the community in a safe and pleasant environment. To help the club continue with its ongoing developments we have now launched a major fundraiser. We are asking all members of the community at large to support this venture. We are asking each individual or company to "Sponsor a Sod" at a cost of €20 per Sod with a target of 5000 Sods. We will acknowledge all sponsors with a receipt and on our new club website, which can be accessed at http://www.anclarach.com/2010_Sponsor_a_Sod_For_The_Fiel.html . We will update weekly the list of all new sponsors. There is a link on the website, "Sponsor a Sod". If you click into this you will see your name on it, from here you can follow the progress of our pitch. All sponsors will also be acknowledged on a special notice board which will be put on display in Kilcoursey.
You too can be a supporter of Clara GAA club in this major fundraising effort. You may be in the USA, England, Europe, or any part of the world; if you feel you can help please send your subscription of €20 to the secretary of Clara GAA club. Your donation will be receipted in due course. This is a lifetime sod, and a piece of our history.
Thanking you in anticipation of your support.
Again the Clara GAA website is www.anclarach.com
It was one of the clubs long held aspirations to own a field of our own, and it was to take 92 years for this to be finally realized when the club purchased its first field in 1976. Throughout the intervening 92 years the club had to rely on the goodwill and benevolence of local landowners for the provision of playing fields - Fox's field and Fleming's field just two among many. In 1976, a long established company in the town, Goodbody's Ltd, offered the committee the option to purchase, for £5000, a field known locally as the Sport's field. The decision of the committee to purchase was a unanimous one and at last the club had a permanent home. Another milestone in the history of Clara GAA Club had been reached. The pitch was named in honour of St. Brigid, the ruins of whose historic abbey is to be found in Kilbride in Clara. The official opening of Páirc Bride was performed by President of the GAA, Mr. Padraig Mc Flionn in 1980.
From a Greenfield state, the club set out to build dressing rooms, repair the playing surface; enclose the pitch and build a covered stand. It took four years for the club to reach the stage where it could officially open Pairc Bride on 31/08/1980. At the time of writing Pairc Bride is now in prime condition with a surface second to none in the county due to careful seeding, fertilizing and maintenance carried out systematically and on a regular basis.
With our increasing demand; 16 teams competing, school games, camogie and ladies football, the committee decided that we needed more fields, to cater for all our members properly and in 1996 (20 years later) we were fortunate enough to purchase 6 and a half acres in Kilcoursey, beside the convent from Aidan Mannering. The tasks then began once more to level, drain, and re-seed the pitches; One full sized and one juvenile. Dressing rooms were built and car parking provided. Floodlighting and ball stoppers were then provided at a substantial cost. Apart from our own resources; bingo, lotto, golf classic, etc , much needed funds were recovered through the national lottery and grants from Leinster and central council's of the GAA without this funding these developments could not have been achieved culminating in the official switching on of the lights by minister for finance Brian Cowen on 15/12/00.
The convent building & 12 and a half acres behind it adjacent to Pairc Proincias came on the market at public auction which would be held on the 28/03/2007 in the Prince of Wales Hotel Athlone. The club felt it was the ideal opportunity to consolidate all our facilities in the one location. Having sought permission from the Co. Board, Leinster and Central Councils, and a special EGM of all club members, the unanimous decision was to sell Pairc Bride and the GAA centre if necessary to part fund this acquisition if successful.The Clara GAA club was the successful bidder at the auction. The deal was struck for €2.45m.
The task began again to develop Kilcoursey while at the same time placing on the market Pairc Bride and the GAA Centre. Unfortunately adverse economic conditions overtook us and at the time of writing, both remain unsold. The club was lucky enough to have acquired €150,000 from National Lottery towards field development in Kilcoursey. This along with our own fundraising and GAA grants - Leinster and Central Councils allowed us to continue and complete our pitch developments. At the time of writing we have two full size championship pitches and 4 small pitches. Our No.1 championship pitch has been laser leveled, sanded, drained and seeded by Emerald Pitch Developments to a very high standard. The club will not use this pitch until next year for the interest of high standards and considering the expense; it would be a mistake to use it any earlier than spring 2011, in order to allow the surface to develop and mature to its maximum potential. Further work will be needed before an official opening date; crowd barriers, dug-outs, etc. In the long term it is envisaged to provide covered spectator facilities.
As an aside to our developments, the club has provided perimeter walkways, for the exercise and enjoyment of all members of the community in a safe and pleasant environment. To help the club continue with its ongoing developments we have now launched a major fundraiser. We are asking all members of the community at large to support this venture. We are asking each individual or company to "Sponsor a Sod" at a cost of €20 per Sod with a target of 5000 Sods. We will acknowledge all sponsors with a receipt and on our new club website, which can be accessed at http://www.anclarach.com/2010_Sponsor_a_Sod_For_The_Fiel.html . We will update weekly the list of all new sponsors. There is a link on the website, "Sponsor a Sod". If you click into this you will see your name on it, from here you can follow the progress of our pitch. All sponsors will also be acknowledged on a special notice board which will be put on display in Kilcoursey.
You too can be a supporter of Clara GAA club in this major fundraising effort. You may be in the USA, England, Europe, or any part of the world; if you feel you can help please send your subscription of €20 to the secretary of Clara GAA club. Your donation will be receipted in due course. This is a lifetime sod, and a piece of our history.
Thanking you in anticipation of your support.
Again the Clara GAA website is www.anclarach.com