A local GAA club suffered significant damage to some of its facilities during Storm Eunice and could face a bill of €30,000 to fix the damage caused.  

Mayfield GAA Club was “dealt a savage blow” to its 2022 season in the aftermath of the storm which saw numerous netting poles crash onto the juvenile floodlit pitch.

Speaking to The Echo, Chairman of the club, Seán McCarthy, said: “Thursday night into Friday morning our goal netting behind the goals for stopping the sliotars and footballs were blown down completely.

“We had five poles up and spread across the back of the goal and three of them were destroyed, broken completely, so we’ll have to replace them. Basically, we’ll have to replace the whole lot, the netting is torn and everything.

“One of the poles fell on a crossbar then as well and a good bit of the goal structure itself will now have to be replaced as well.”

Mr McCarthy said he is waiting on an estimate but from previous experience, he estimated that the cost of the damage done could be between €25,000 to €30,000.

It’s a lot of money. We just finished one project on our main field and now we’ve been hit with this so our bank balance isn't too good at the moment but we just have to get through it.

He said that the club is canvassing local councillors and TDs to see if anyone can help with money as the club has had little fundraising for the last two years on account of the pandemic.

Mr McCarthy said that the club’s forecasted return to the pitches for adult, juvenile and ladies teams remains uncertain now as the damaged pitch was the only floodlit pitch within the club.

“Realistically it’s too dangerous now to use the pitch and at the moment we have only one pitch available to us between adult, juvenile and ladies’ football so it will be pretty tough going for the next couple of weeks but we’ll soldier on.

“We train Tuesday and Thursday but they’re the adults and obviously the juvenile teams then and the ladies' football are different nights but the weather for the last few days has been horrendous so it has been curtailed and there’s been practically nothing on.

“We were gearing for a proper season, especially after the last two years when we had a curtailed season, so this is going to throw a spanner in the works now for the time being,” he said.

Meanwhile, just metres away, Mayfield United AFC also suffered some damage during the high winds on Thursday night.

The roof of Mayfield United AFC dressing rooms has cracked roof tiles and holes following the storm.

Local Fine Gael councillor and former Lord Mayor of Cork, Joe Kavanagh, said the storm “certainly left its mark”.

“Storm Eunice certainly left its mark on our local community of Mayfield leaving a trail of damage to Mayfield United clubhouse roof and the netting behind the goals in Mayfield GAA grounds,” he said.

Cllr Kavanagh also said he has already put “wheels in motion” following the damage.