GAA club to solo a ball from Croker to their home ground
(Above) The organisers of the Royal Run to Bun at the recently opened playground at Bunbrosna GFC's home ground. Back: David Newman, Peter Maguire. John Casey, Finian Newman, Mark Donnelly, Eddie Newman. Front: Malachy Newman, Aoife Casey and Donnacha Newman at Brunbrosna GAA.
A local GAA club has come up with a novel way of raising funds for its new astroturf pitch – they are going to solo a Gaelic football 100k from Croke Park to their home ground.
Bunbrosna’s GAA Clubs ‘Royal Run to Bun’ fundraiser, literally kicks off from the headquarters of the GAA this Saturday morning when members of the club’s senior team start to solo an official Bunbrosna GAA football along the banks of the Royal Canal in the direction of Mullingar.
The participants aim to get as far as Enfield on Saturday and then on Sunday go as far as Coolnahay Harbour before cutting across to the club grounds. Fittingly, the honour of soloing the ball on the final leg will go to members of the U7 team.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, club official Eddie Newman said that everyone involved in the club is looking forward to the weekend and hoping that the weather plays ball, so to speak.
The development of the astroturf pitch and floodlights is just one of a number of projects that the club’s new committee are working on. A new community playground was recently opened, while funding was also secured under the government’s National Broadband Plan to open a high speed internet hub in the clubhouse to be used by members of the community.
The club has been able to access different funding streams for the projects, which have a combined cost of over €200,000. They have to provide matching funding and are around €16,000 short of their €79,000 target, which the club hopes they will reach with the money raised from the Royal Run to Bun.
Like many small, rural clubs, Bunbrosna’s fortunes on and off the ptich have waxed and waned over the years. However, the club is now undoubtedly on an upward trajectory. More than 90 boys and girls attended the recent summer camp, which far exceeded expectations, while last month the underage girls teams from U8 to U12 were officially approved by Westmeath LGFA.
Eddie says that the new committee that was elected late last year has breathed new life into the club and have driven the different projects that are currently under way on and off the pitch.
“The committee has been great. I can’t emphasise that enough. They are a young committee and they have taken the bit in their teeth. It’s a credit to the people involved in what has been accomplished.”
A Royal Run To Bun GoFundMe page has been set up where people can make donations online. If you would like to make a donation click here.
Lough Lene Gaels
Bunbrosna isn’t the only local GAA club who are taking a novel approach to fundraising. Lough Lene Gaels hurling teams over the years have been known to throw everything but the kitchen sink at opponents in pursuit of victory, but the ambitious Collinstown-based club want to give away a kitchen in the months ahead as they try to raise money for continued development of their club facilities.
A bespoke designed kitchen worth €30,000 is the prize on offer in the club’s latest raffle. Tickets are on sale for €20 each, three for €50, or seven for €100, from any club official.