Garnish GAA planning wildest Beast of Beara fundraiser yet

After what was a hugely successful first year dubbed the Beast of Beara, Garnish GAA are putting the finishing touches to its second year of the fundraiser. 

The small rural Beara outfit have been praised for innovative fundraising ideas down through the years, but they hope this latest plan is a game-changer for the local community. 

The club organised a tractor run to raise funds to buy equipment, fence their pitch and carry out other necessary works in the past. They would like to think now that they have gone up another notch.

Last year, the club launched an adventure race called the Beast of Beara. It’s easy to see why. It saw runners and walkers go along a picturesque trail over three peaks of rolling Slieve Miskish, starting and finishing in the gorgeous Allihies Village.

Despite the first year of the event being a big hit, it was said to the organisers that it didn’t actually complete a half-marathon, so the distance has been increased slightly for this summer’s one to just over 21km, which takes place on Saturday, July 19.

It’s all geared towards the development of the Garnish GAA grounds and given the natural resources around them on the Beara Peninsula, there was an opening for something like this. 

The main reason for the Beast of Beara, which was engineered by Garnish GAA chairperson Ollie Rue O’Sullivan towards the end of 2023, was to bring in funds to the club. They are the furthest club in the country from Croke Park. Numbers are tight, but everyone involved puts the shoulder to the wheel.

The successful fundraiser will help to establish new facilities for the players and community in the club grounds in Cahermore. The plan for Garnish is to upgrade the pitch, install modern floodlights, to modernise the dressing rooms and to put a walkway around the pitch. The work has commenced on the project.

The community is hoping for a boost to local tourism on the weekend of the festival. Visitors will be able to take in Bantry Bay, Hungry Hill, which has the highest waterfall in Ireland and Britain, Dursey Island, the Skellig Rocks and the Black Ball Martello Tower.

Garnish are currently plying their trade in the Junior B football grade. They have won the Beara JAFC on multiple occasions with the last one coming in 2018.

Those willing to take part in the Beast of Beara can do so via https://garnishgaa.ie. The entry fee is €50.