The Faithful fields, a fateful day.
After all the talking, after all the fundraising, the building, the anticipation, the day that Offaly GAA followers have been waiting for has finally arrived.
September 23rd has long been earmarked as a day that will represent a crucial turn in the attitude and the fortunes that have recently abounded in Offaly GAA.
There’s something about Offaly, isn’t there? There’s a historic magic attached to the county and it really is so sad that they have fallen so far from grace in the last few years.
We all remember the great Offaly teams of the 90’s and early 2000’s, back boned by heroes like Brian Whelehan and the Dooleys, some of the gifted hurlers to have ever played the game.
Equally, though, with the recent disharmony and lack of competitiveness that has taken hold of the county, criticism has came the way of their county board, their set-up, the lack of investment and focus on underage structures, and also the lack of commitment being made by a small minority of players.
It has all had a knock-on effect on the next, and it has gotten ugly in the Faithful County.
Many claim that the county has struggled to come to terms with the professionalised GAA game, and it’s good to see that they have decided to act on this.
The Faithful fields is a state-of-the-art set-up along the Birr-Tullamore road, with four full-sized pitches, all equipped with headlights and nets.
The county’s senior hurlers and footballers have had troubles in the past with arranging venues for training sessions, with the hurlers famously locked out of O’Connor Park only a week before Championship a few years ago.
The Faithful Fields will prevent such occurrences. It will ensure that the set-up is more organised, that development squads, senior panels and even club teams are singing off the same hymn sheet, and won’t have problems with finding a suitable field for training.
The gym looks unreal.
Gym full fitted out ahead of official opening of The Faithful Fields on September 23rd @DuignanMichael @ClubFaithful @MidlandsSport pic.twitter.com/co0uE54ZPv
— Official Offaly GAA (@Offaly_GAA) September 8, 2017
But the ball-wall looks even better.
The majority of clubs build wall-balls that are surfaced by gravel and sand, but this beauty, as well as having loads of space, will ensure that hurlers won’t be picking up handfuls of sand and stones when they rise and control the onrushing sliotar.
The sliotar won’t be slowed down by the friction, it will instead be sped-up by the immaculate surface.
All weather ball wall surface now complete ahead of tomorrow's official opening of The Faithful Fields @MidlandsSport @DuignanMichael pic.twitter.com/Yr668EqPtz
— Official Offaly GAA (@Offaly_GAA) September 22, 2017
Their first touch should be spanking after a go on this.
Just 4 hours to the opening of The Faithful Fields gates at 2pm – Official opening at 3pm – All Welcome @gaaleinster @officialgaa pic.twitter.com/oAKB4vT3TE
— Official Offaly GAA (@Offaly_GAA) September 23, 2017
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