'We're expecting the worst': Sarsfields await full assessment of pitch following floods
Members of Sarsfields in Glanmire were assessing the damage done to the pitch by the floods that Storm Babet brought to Cork on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Following the high of winning the County Senior Hurling Championship on Sunday, members of Sarsfields in Glanmire were assessing the damage done to the pitch by the floods that Storm Babet brought to Cork on Tuesday and Wednesday.
But, as Sarsfields’ Chairman Keith Mulcahy put it speaking to The Echo, the club’s action to open the gates to the pitch to allow floodwater in so it would not destroy peoples’ homes was something he or his fellow club mates did not regret.
“The pitch can be sorted, we will get it sorted, there’s a lot of work involved obviously but peoples’ homes were more important, that’s why we felt we had to open the gates and let the water in.”
The damage caused by that action on behalf of the community has left the club without a pitch which they had taken pride in maintaining to the highest possible standards and, on Thursday, they were awaiting an assessor to arrive to give an expert view of what works would be needed.
Already, however, they have an idea of the devastating impact of Storm Babet.
“We’re expecting the worst, to be honest with you, because the place is in an awful condition.
“We maintain the pitch to a very high standard, it’s sanded every year, we’ve underground drainage and everything there.
“The drains are burst unfortunately and, in a lot of places, there’s craters on the pitch.
“The walls surrounding the pitch and the fencing, that’s collapsed as well, that’s after being washed in.”
The club’s gym, spinning room, office, bar cellar and cold room were all destroyed in the flooding.
“Our pitch lights are gone as well, the water level went over the junction boxes and they will have to replaced as well.
“The drainage on the pitch, you’re looking at €100,000 just for the draining of the pitch alone, and then resanding it and getting the proper sod on it.
“Look, I spoke to the guy this morning that looks after the pitch for us and he said the pitch would have to be taken out, basically, and start again.
“It’s a long time for it to come back again.”
The loss of their pitch has left the club, whose senior hurlers will be now representing Cork in the Munster Club Hurling Championship, in dire straits but their sister club, the Glanmire footballers, have offered them the use of their gym as well as their pitch, when it dries off, for training.
“We have another field in Buck Leary’s Cross, it’s obviously very wet at the minute and there’s rain due again later and tomorrow, so that pitch is probably unplayable as well.
“Our juvenile teams, I don’t know what we’re going to do with them but, our senior team, in fairness, there’s a number of clubs that have been on to us, we’ve had offers of pitches from our neighbours, Lisgoold and Erin’s Own and a soccer club in Passage West have been on to us.
“Our sister club, Glanmire, they’ve been fantastic, even though their pitch was flooded yesterday, Paul Kingston, their chairman, was on to me yesterday evening, and said look, they’re making their gym facilities available to us and, as soon their pitch dries out, we can work away there.
“I’d expect nothing less from them because they’re fantastic in fairness, they’re great guys over there.”
As well as awaiting a visit from an assessor, the Sarsfields chairman was awaiting a call from Croke Park to speak about what would be available from the loss adjustment fund.
After Sunday’s win in a thrilling county final, the club had been on a high with celebrations on Sunday, Monday and part of Tuesday.
“It’s been a roller coaster of a week, that’s for sure.
“It’s all hands on deck now to get the place back to normal, we know that, but we’ve a long road ahead, we’re well aware of that.
“Where to even start?”
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Micheál Martin pledged in the Dáil today that the government will support the club to recover from the damage.
“It’s been very distressing for many, many people. We’re deeply concerned about what has transpired, and I want to thank all of the volunteers, the civil defence, the local authorities, defence forces, in terms of the work that they did, and also to Sarsfields GAA who incidentally won the county last Sunday versus Midleton,” he said.
“They opened up their pitch to save a housing estate from flooding, and we will make sure that we work with the club to help them in any way possible.
“That’s the kind of intervention that makes a huge difference to a community, quick decision-making and we applaud that action. It’s the club of the late Teddy McCarthy, with an outstanding tradition of serving their community.”
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