Castleknock GAA still eager to implement new initiatives
Significant work continues to be carried out by Castleknock GAA at Somerton Park.
By Cian O’Connell
It has been eventful - on and off the playing pitches of Dublin – for Castleknock. Nearly three decades in existence, Castleknock GAA has became an important outlet in the lives of so many people.
Matches have been won and lost, memories made, footballers and hurlers developed, but the progressive Dublin club continues to emphasise helping the local community in several different ways.
Michael Wylie, Castleknock GAA Clubhouse chairperson, has been involved in various projects and initiatives throughout the years. “It's fundamentally about viability,” he explains.
“If you think about the impact of climate change, the way things are going. Clubs are going to be faced with increased costs for electricity, fuel, and water. Obviously, there will be issues with extreme storms, extreme droughts, and how do you build resilience around that?
“People themselves are facing increased costs for electricity, so clubs will find it harder to pass that on. It's a double whammy for members. The more you can do to address this, the more viable and longer term will operate.”
The Greening of Somerton is a newsletter published by the club to highlight some of the sterling work that is being carried. What binds everything together, though, is Castleknock GAA. “You'll always have sceptics,” Wylie responds.
“It's about the wider issue - the club. You make loads of friends and by that, I mean, local authorities, government departments, and politicians, who want to help and support you. It's very important when you're a club that you have that.”
That has been crucial for Castleknock. Improvements can be made in every area, and Wylie is delighted by the emergence of Camán In, a new coffee service and area. So, collaborating with various authorities is key. “They recognise you're doing the right thing,” he explains.
“You're a good club with the right intentions. So, if you need future supports, they're going to be there. I'd say pride in club, too. Nobody in the club is ever going to say, that's a ridiculous thing you're doing.
“For example, we planted 8,000 flower bulbs and about 1,300 trees. Hundreds of our members, young and old, did that. These people mightn't have the time to manage a team or have another opportunity to get involved, now they've done something they're proud of. They've contributed towards and participated in it.
“Everybody talks about environment and sustainability, which is fundamental. You also need to bring it down to simple terms that people can relate to. That's how you get engagement and how people buy into it, seeing the sense in something.”
The coffee shop has a multitude of uses. “We're obviously promoting it in a sustainable way, it's being powered by solar, and we aren't using disposable cups,” Wylie remarks.
Ciarán Kilkenny in action for Castleknock in a Dublin SFC fixture at Somerton Park in 2020. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
“It's the social aspect of it, the fact you're giving people a social outlet, a place to come together to sit down for a nice cup of coffee. We've good prices with good coffee.
“If people are bringing their kids down to the nursery, they can come in here to have a chat, to meet and engage. It's giving teenagers an opportunity to get work experience, to put it on their CV when they're trying to get jobs in the future. You've loads of different reasons for it.
“We've a fella here, who mows the pitch, he's in his 70s, he does it free of charge. He comes in here on a Monday with his mates to play 25.
“These 70-year-old lads have a place to come for a nice cup of coffee; to have a chat for a couple of hours, it gets them out of the house. All these things bring a social element which is a very important aspect.”
The games continue. What started as teams playing football and hurling, is now a vibrant GAA club. “If you think about it, we were founded in 1998 - we operated out of a green space at Castleknock Community College with what they called Tír na nÓg, creating the nursery,” Wylie reflects.
“A tarmac tennis courts beside the church; they did that on a Sunday to do ground hurling. Then, they were using pitches in the Phoenix Park or Porterstown. It grew. It was mainly driven by the expansion of Dublin's suburban environment.
“More families came here and they were looking for outlets for their children. We're at about 175 teams with 4,000 members. Just that natural population growth has driven that.”
A spirit has been established. Castleknock eventually moved into Somerton. So, making sure that is a vibrant place matters deeply to Wylie. “When we started off, we were going around hiring council pitches and school halls,” he says.
“Finally, when we got the grounds in Somerton, it was one big field that we developed into a set of pitches. The next phase was the clubhouse which we did in 2019.
“You can imagine the voluntary effort it took to create that. It wasn't any one person; it was a collective thing across hundreds of people.”
There remains a willingness to emphasise environmental needs. Don’t Bottle It, Bin It, rainwater harvesting, a water refill station perfectly illustrate some of the recent Castleknock GAA ventures.
Members remain ready, willing, and able to help.