Property developers hindering rugby hopes

CASH-RICH property developers repeatedly dashed a junior rugby club’s ambitions to secure a proper pitch and the club, it has been claimed.

Bantry Rugby Club, which has not been able to play any home fixtures since last October, has appealed to Cork County Council to come to its rescue.

In support, a member of senior side Clonakilty RFC spoke yesterday of the help they had received from the local authority over the years and their phenomenal recent success as a marker for the potential future of rugby enthusiasts in Bantry.

Neil Clarke of Bantry RFC told Cork County Council’s western division that the club, which was re-established in 1992, had problems acquiring a proper pitch because each time it identified a suitable site near the town it was outbid by property developers.

“We just can’t compete. We can’t secure ground of any description near the town. The price of four-and-a-half acres, which we need, would be prohibitive,” Mr Clarke said.

“We have now over 100 underage and 40 adult members registered. We can’t develop our underage teams fully as we have no home venue for games.”

Mr Clarke said the success of Munster and Irish rugby made the sport very popular in the area and proper facilities would draw more players, including people from the Beara Peninsula.

He said the club had identified land at Letterlickey and was hoping the council would help it financially. The total cost of the project was estimated at €590,000. The club expected a National Lottery grant of €250,000 and was also prepared to fundraise itself.

One of the mentors in the original club, founded in 1926, was the uncle of the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor.

Clonakilty RFC spokesman Ray O’Neill backed the plea and said that, with proper facilities, the Bantry club could also go from strength to strength

The request won support from all councillors including FF’s Cllr Christy O’Sullivan, whose daughter, Eimear, plays with the Irish Women’s senior rugby team. He said the work done by Clonakilty RFC, especially for the town’s youth, had been marvellous.

Cllrs Donal Casey (FF) and Noel Harrington (FG) said it would be an admirable project for the council to get involved in. The latter proposed that the request for financial help be referred to the council’s full GPC (General Purposes Committee) for approval.

Cllr Tadhg O’Donovan (FG) said young people needed as many different sports as possible, while Cllr Donal O’Rourke (FF) added that such infrastructure development would improve the quality of life in the area.

“There was a time when people would have feared the growth of rugby would affect the GAA but those days are gone,” add Cllr Joe Carroll (FF).

Assistant county manager Theresa White said that she would consider funding through development charges.