'Hopefully they will get their comeuppance': Condemnation after vandals damage Cork pitch

Damage done to Ballincollig AFC's pitch this week. Picture: Ballincollig AFC/Facebook

A Cork soccer club has hit out at vandals who damaged their pitch just days after it celebrated the resolution of a long-running land lease issue.

Officials with Ballincollig AFC condemned the actions of those who it is believed drove a suspected quad bike all over their Landing Field ground in the town.

The surface was very soft following the recent wet weather and was badly cut up during the incident.

The club posted images of the damage on social media and said those involved had absolutely no respect for society or their community.

“The hard work that volunteers like ourselves and our friends in Ballincollig GAA Club [are] undermined by the actions of individuals who treat us with absolute disdain,” the club said in a post on Facebook.

The club thanked the residents of Old Quarter — an estate overlooking their pitch — for raising the alarm and it thanked gardaí for a swift and efficient response.

“Hopefully justice will prevail and they will get their comeuppance,” the club said.

The club's neighbours, Ballincollig GAA Club, said they were extremely disappointed and disillusioned to see such costly vandalism to the soccer club's pitches.

"Our clubs receive such wonderful support from the Ballincollig community and volunteers. It’s a shame to see such behaviour exists amongst us," it said.

Widespread condemnation

There was widespread condemnation of the incident which hit the club just days after senior club figures attended a meeting of Cork City Council to watch the resolution of their pitch deeds issue which had been dragging on for over a quarter of a century.

Following months of intense negotiations, city councillors approved a property disposal of just over 2.8-hectares of land known as the Landing Field to the club by way of a sporting lease subject to a nominal annual rent, if demanded, of €10.

The deeds should have been handed over to the club by Cork County Council following the sale of town’s former army barracks land, but the transfer was never completed. The issue became the responsibility of Cork City Council following the 2019 boundary extension.

Club stalwart Gerardene McNamara welcomed the disposal but said the champagne was on ice until all of the legal documents had been signed, sealed and delivered into the possession of the club.

The damage to Ballincollig AFC’s pitch is the second such attack on a Cork soccer club in recent weeks.

In March, vandals targeted Ringmahon Rangers — the club that gave Liverpool and Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher his start – stealing machinery and driving a roller through its pitches.

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