The new stand at McGovern Park, Ruislip.
By Cian O’Connell
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Noel Dunning, who has contributed to the London GAA story both on and off the field, is delighted that a redeveloped McGovern Park will provide a nice backdrop for Sunday’s Connacht SFC clash between London and Leitrim.
A former manager and current selector with the London footballers, Dunning is also Chairman of the Ruislip Development Committee, ensuring it has been a particularly busy stint. “All the hard work, sweat, and tears are coming to an end now so it is great to see the finished product,” Dunning tells GAA.ie ahead of the official re-opening this weekend.
“It has been a long time in the planning and in the making, now that it has actually happened means it is great.”
The new facilities will boost London GAA significantly according to Dunning. “It is massive not just for London GAA, but for GAA in Britain as a whole,” Dunning says.
“It is probably the biggest development any GAA unit outside of Ireland has probably undertaken. It just shows what can be done so personally it is very satisfying.
“It is the culmination of a good few years of effort which have gone into it behind the scenes, but I was lucky enough to be the Chairman of a great committee.
“Guys were just interested, they weren't pontificating about things, they actually made it happen, they got on with it, nothing was seen as an obstacle, they always worked around it.”
Former London manager and current selector Noel Dunning.
In London for 22 years, Dunning has served Kingdom Kerry Gaels and London in several different roles. “I came over in 1995 and joined the Kingdom as they were then, Kingdom Kerry Gaels now,” Dunning states.
“I was involved with the club first and then in later years became London manager, I'm a selector with London now. I've had a few positions, I was the Assistant Treasurer of the County Board as well and now obviously the Chairman of the Development Committee.”
Dunning feels that progress has been made during the past two decades highlighting the influence of London’s homegrown players Liam Gavaghan, Philip Butler, and Adrian Moyles in the current set-up.
“As a GAA entity I would say it is actually thriving,” is Dunning’s assessment. “There is a lot of work being done on underage, that is starting to come to fruition.
“You can see that in the London team captain, Liam Gavaghan, he is London born and bred. That is great to see and it is what you would hope other young London players would be aspiring to when they seem him out there.
“The ground will obviously be part of the encouragement for younger players to stay with the GAA because it is a county ground like anyone at home now, except it is obviously smaller.
“We've also had other development squad players involved in the background doing some training. It is great, it is heading very much in the right direction so all of the effort that has gone in at underage level is starting to bear fruit now which is great and it is encouraging for coaches with clubs to see that players, who have gone through their hands are playing with and even captaining the county team.”
