Camogie Centre of Excellence for Borrisoleigh
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary Camogie and St Joseph’s College Borrisoleigh have joined forces to develop a new Centre of Excellence for the game in the county.
Last Friday’s Sports Capital Grant funding announcements saw St Joseph’s College awarded €246,000. The grant application was in partnership with Tipperary Camogie for the development of a floodlit Astroturf pitch (80mx30m), a 60m wall ball, full gym and upgrading of the current changing facilities.
The new facilities will be used by the school for PE classes and sports training while Tipperary Camogie will have shared access of the facilities to allow them to develop their own Centre of Excellence.
The partnership is a major step forward for camogie in the county and the Borrisoleigh school are proud to play their part in supporting women in sport and helping to develop and grow camogie in the county.
Located just four kilometres from the County Camogie Grounds in the Ragg, the new facilities is the perfect location for Tipperary Camogie’s Centre of Excellence.
The floodlit Astro-turf pitch and ball-wall will provide the ideal winter training facilities for Tipperary camogie teams from under 14 to senior.
The current indoor hall, along with the upgraded changing facilities and fully equipped gym will enable teams to maximise their strength and conditioning training.
Camogie membership in Tipperary is continuing to grow. This exciting partnership with St Joseph’s College, along with the recent upgrade to the County Grounds adds to the continuous development and improvements of facilities for county teams and development squads.
St Joseph’s College Borrisoleigh has a long history of camogie with many players who went on to wear the blue and gold with distinction having gone through their doors.
The last player to captain Tipperary to senior All-Ireland success, Joanne Ryan, is a past pupil, as is recently named joint captain of the Tipperary senior team Julieanne Bourke. Her co-captain Grace O’Brien is a teacher in the school, as is former pupil and current senior player Nicole Walsh. Both Nicole and Grace recently coached the senior school team to success as they captured the Intermediate Munster title. Current county minor player Aoife Dwyer of Thurles Sarsfields is also a present student in the school.
The partnership with Tipperary camogie highlights even further the positive role St Joseph’s College Borrisoleigh has played and continues to play in the promotion and development of camogie throughout the county.
The ambitious project is a huge statement of intent by Tipperary camogie to progress the training facilities and development of their players. The unique partnership is a brilliant fit for all parties and huge credit goes to the school representatives and camogie board officials who brought this application to fruition.
It is hoped that work on this exciting project can begin shortly, meaning that before long both the school population and Tipperary camogie can enjoy top class sporting and training facilities.
The project will enhance teams including the Tipperary senior team’s training and preparation which will no doubt lead to further success on the playing pitch and hopefully before long this can lead to a return of the O’Duffy cup to the premier county.