Cork GAA club name new pitch after club stalwart
Donie who passed away in October 2023 enjoyed a long and fruitful career with his beloved Ilen Rovers.After finishing playing, Donie was a prominent member of the club committee and an excellent underage coach.Donie was one of life’s true gentlemen, a great neighbour and friend but most importantly, a loving husband, father, son, and brother.Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan official unveiled the plaque in memory of Donie Duggan before a huge crowd in Church Cross on Friday, February 13.Ilen Rovers club chairperson Jason Whooley said the official unveiling was a very successful night. “Down below the main pitch we have developed a full new pitch. That new pitch is fully floodlit, and it has been named in memory of Donie. It has a fabulous new surface. It is a beautiful finish. We now have two pitches and a walkway in Church Cross. We are delighted with it. This will serve families and players in the community for generations to come.”The club chair said the new pitch represents a huge breakthrough for the club as it will allow the players to train and play throughout the year. “We are very fortunate to have great facilities in both Church Cross and Rath. The floodlit pitch is a huge breakthrough. The very first night we turned it on, nearly 70 players trained on the pitch which is great.”“It was Donie who had the vision for that pitch,” said the club official. “He applied for the planning permission and submitted the grant application. The club is delivering on the vision Donie had for that field. Going back 12 months, a large proportion of that field was just really bog. Thanks to a huge club and community effort we got it open inside 12 months which is fantastic.”The club chair said the Duggan family are ‘synonymous’ with Ilen Rovers GAA club and the local community. “Naming the pitch in memory of Donie is a fitting tribute. The Duggan family are synonymous with Ilen Rovers down through the years. They are a fine family. They are central to the club and that is what clubs are all about. Donie was a great club man.“All the Duggan family were there on the night. It was a very emotional night for everyone. It was a special occasion. Kevin O’Donovan the CEO came down and did the official opening. He spoke very eloquently. On the night we unveiled a temporary plaque, but over the next few weeks we will put in a proper plaque,” he added.People of all ages in the local community came together to get the new pitch completed in the last 12 months said the club chair. “It was a phenomenal effort from everyone to get the new pitch completed. Young and old all came together for the club and community. Stone picking was a big part of the job. We allocated sections to each team from the underage right to the ladies and adult section. Everyone played their part and that means there is a sense of ownership for every team in the club.”Ilen Rovers field a plethora of teams at adult, underage and ladies and possess brilliant facilities in Church Cross and Rath.There is a genuine sense of optimism in the parish once again and they are most definitely a club on the rise. They possess strong playing numbers and are backboned by a very supportive community.Last year Ilen Rovers reached their first county final since 2007.They were ultimately defeated by Boherbue in the IAFC final after a replay, but Jason admits there is good optimism going into this season. “There is good optimism in the club. We have had a couple of difficult years. Last year was a huge boost. Getting to Páirc Uí Chaoimh and having those couple of occasions was brilliant for everyone involved. It is important to build on that now.”
