Carrigaline United at the heart of the community

When Carrigaline United were named Club of the Year at the FAI’s Festival of Football in Kilkenny last Friday night, chairman Willie Walsh was, he admits, “emotionally ambushed” and, as a result, “stuck for words”.

If so, that was out of character, for Walsh speaks with eloquence about the County Cork club and what it was he likes to think the FAI were recognising in bestowing the national accolade: not just success on the pitch but achievements in governance, coach education, player development, and social inclusion.

“It was an incredible achievement and we were ecstatic but it’s not about me or any of us who were up there, it’s essentially about the club and Carrigaline itself,” says Walsh. “We really see ourselves as a community-based club. We’re probably the closest model to the GAA as we can get.