In common with a lot of
other clubs of the 30's and 40's the Summerhill club had no place that it could
call its own - no field, no pitch. During this period the club members depended
on the use of a field from some local person to practice in. More often than not
the practising was done in a field provided by the Shaw family or in Connolly's
field or Ryan's field.
Around 1950, the officials of the club
began to think that the time had come to be making an effort to secure a playing
pitch of their own. Naturally enough there were many fields that were thought
to be suitable but there were two places uppermost in the minds of these same
officials - "The Square Park" and "The Stone Paddock". For the benefit of our
younger readers "The Stone Paddock" is the field just outside the Village on the
right hand side of the Dublin Road. "The Square Park" is the site of the present
football premises.
The
Square Park was part of the Kelly Estate which was acquired by the Land Commission
around 1950. An application was made to the Land Commission for part of the Kelly
Estate to be developed as a football pitch.
The County Board
bought the pitch on behalf of the club for the enormous sum of £258.5.5. for 7
acres. Yes a mere £37 per acre. Today it would probably fetch nearer £2,000 per
acre. Now the club had a place of its own and to a certain extent new headaches,
new problems began to arise. The first such headache was the repayments to the
County Board. Times were bad, money was scarce and the £50 per year repayments
were hard come by. Nevertheless, then, as always, the officers of the club proved
equal to the task.
In 1957 the land was ploughed (at a cost
of £6) and wheat was sown. '57 wasn't a great year and problems arose at harvest
time. Nevertheless, a profit of £117.19.5 was made on the wheat. This made great
inroads into the debt.
In 1958 the land was set for meadow
and in 1959 it was let for grazing. And so in 1960 the final installment of £19.16.0
was paid on the pitch. Now, not alone did the club have a place of its own, but
it owned its own place. When the club acquired the land there were a number of
electricity poles down the centre of the field. These had to be moved to another
location by E.S.B. This cost £65 and was considered to be much worse than the
£250 for the land at the time.
Headache
No. 2 was the development of the pitch. While the members were using the pitch
from about 1960 onwards, the task of levelling it had to be faced. At some points
the land on the "Doctor's Side" i.e. side of entrance, was also 8' higher than
on the other side. Before the development work could commence it was necessary
to procure the finance needed for the job. Towards this end a number of Carnivals
were run on a 50-50 basis with other clubs in the Parish - Tennis Club, Muintir
na Tíre.
By 1963 the Club was ready to start its work
and in July of that year the machines moved in. 245 hours were spent levelling
the land. It was then rotovated, shored and mould drained. In September '63 the
pitch was ready for seeding - cost of £150. This had been a major undertaking
for the club. The fruits of their labour then are shown in the excellent pitch
we have today.
In 1965 work began on the fencing of the playing
area. The annals recall that on June 4th, 1967 the first championship matches
were played in the enclosed pitch - Moynalvey v. Kildalkey in Junior B, Rathmolyon
v. Enfield in Intermediate and Baconstown v. Summerhill in Junior B.
Gradually
the needs of the club grew and by the late sixties the need for dressing rooms
was becoming apparent. At that stage the task was approached on a voluntary basis
and thanks mainly to the efforts of Niall Fagan, dressing rooms were erected.
These premises served the dual purpose of changing rooms and meeting rooms and
were a significant step in the development of the Park.
But
development is an ongoing thing. Needs are constantly increasing and new demands
are created. In early '74 the Committee decided to start a 200 club to raise funds
to extend the premises. This 200 club, later extended to a 300 club, had been
a constant source of income over the following three years, and has provided the
greatest part of the money that has built the Pavilion which stands today. The
300 club had been a tremendous success and great credit is due to the promoters
and to the organisers, especially Frank Taffee and Fr. Behan.
Right
through '75 and early '76 the Committee worked on plans for the extension. Many
aspects had to be considered - size, desirable facilities, growing needs and increasing
numbers, and of course finance. The contractor moved in, in July 1976 and by March
1977 the building was completed except for a few "odds and ends" which remained
to be ironed out. And so there it is today, our ground - the old "Square Park".
Many
clubs today are contemplating purchasing a pitch for their own use or building
dressing rooms or a social centre. To them we say: Plan carefully, ensure a good
cash flow situation, make use of such schemes as Ciste Gael or your own 200 club,
set yourself specific targets and ACT NOW. Best of Luck!
