Pairc De Burca Update - PLEASE READ
To all members,
This is to update all members as regards the progress of final grass growth in Páirc de Búrca. We are all frustrated at the length of time it is taking to complete this project. We are approaching the final stages and are currently at the mercy of the Gods of grass growth. Temperatures have been below the required level for most of recent months and there has been disappointing rate of growth on the pitch as a result. However, growth is certainly happening just now.
Currently we are still unplayable on the Linden Lea end as anybody will be able to see and in isolated other areas.
The Pitch will open for the mini All Irelands from end of May on the basis that the barriered off areas are off limits and strictly controlled by coaches and responsible persons associated with the mini’s. This means that no person can cross the barriers into barriered off areas for any reason and if, for example, a child kicks or hits a ball over the barriers neither they nor anybody else can be allowed to retrieve it – they must leave it to the ground staff to recover the balls the next day – trampling on newly seeded areas will, as we all know, kill the grass / newly laid seed. If this is not controlled during the mini’s we are in real trouble as a result across the entire growing season.
From 1st June consideration is being given by our cross sectional pitch allocation group to allowing highly restricted access for one training slot at a time. Restrictions will include a ban on access to barriered off areas and no access to the main goals. Once again players or others jumping the barriers to walk over newly seeded areas or new grass will kill that grass and we are is serious trouble again. Any team manager or coach who is allocated a slot on Pairc de Burca is required to maintain strict discipline on this matter. If a ball goes into the barriered of area it must be left to the ground staff to retrieve the following day. No exceptions will or can be tolerated.
In the ideal world nobody would access the pitch until mid-June at the earliest but we are not in an ideal world and so the mini’s and some training will be going on the pitch. This is a high risk decision and if supervision is not total the pitch will spend the summer being seeded and re-seeded and we will have no matches or proper training access on Páirc de Búrca across the growing season.
This is the state of play and we have fingers crossed for proper and full supervision until full opening of Páirc de Búrca which is targeted for mid-June. This is our target after a long and frustrating period without our main pitch being available to coaches, players and spectators - we are nearly there and we will update you as we come towards the target opening date.
Regards
Kevin Foley
Club Chairman
