Game on at Breifne College

The newly redeveloped playing pitch at Breifne College was officially opened at a special event in the Cavan Town school last week.

Work has been ongoing to upgrade the pitch for the past decade, with parents, staff and the wider school community completing various fundraising efforts. An investment of more than €100,000 under the Sports Capital and Equipment Fund was also received to complete works.

Speaking at the opening, Head Girl Aoibhínn Gaffney said the new pitch is a “fantastic addition” to the school, and provides students with “even more opportunities” to take part in sport, develop skills, work as a team and enjoy being active.”It is something that current and future generations of Breifne College students will benefit from,” she praised.

Principal Breege Reilly said: “This facility has been a long time in the making and its completion reflects the determination and commitment of a lot of people.”

She expressed thanks to the Cavan Monaghan Education & Training Board (CMETB), the school’s Board of Management, funders, St Patrick’s Trust Diocese of Kilmore, Michael Hyland and his team at Hyland Turfcare, and to “all the other people” who helped deliver the project.

Ms Reilly also paid tribute to local clubs, schools and sporting organisations who “generously” shared their facilities with the school when they didn’t have their own pitch, and to staff “who give so generously” of their time to coaching and supporting students.

She expressed a hope that the new pitch will be a place “where students learn to win with humility, lose with dignity and understand the value of being part of something that is bigger than themselves”.

She continued: “The true measure of this investment will not be the matches won or the trophies lifted. It will be the students who discover a talent, find the confidence, make a friend or simply find their place.”

Cllr Clifford Kelly (FF), Chair of CMETB, agreed, saying facilities such as these “play an important role in supporting the wellbeing and development of our young people”.

Paddy Flood, CMETB Director of Schools, joked that “as a Monaghan person,” it is a “bittersweet moment” to open additional football facilities in Cavan. Mr Flood told the large number of young students gathered to “remember your voice counts”, as he credited the redevelopment of the pitch to the “student voice” and lobbying by past pupils who “rightly wanted more”.

He also highlighted how Cavan Shamrocks and Cavan Autism Parents Support (CAPS) will also have shared use of the facility.

Cllr Carmel Brady (FG), Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council and Chair of Breifne College’s Board of Management, said the opening of the grounds “demonstrates what can be achieved when there is a shared commitment to investing in young people in Cavan”.

For John Gilsenan, teacher and Chair of the Parent’s Association, the field is “very personal”, as a past pupil of the school from 1981-1986, when the football field consisted of a “steep hill” with “two shaky goalposts” on either end. He returned to the school as a teacher in 1994, when former principal Eugene Lynch, members of the parent’s association and staff put in a “huge effort” to create a sports field out of what was then called “the bull field” at a cost of around £50,000, which was a “great addition” to the school.

The playing surface deteriorated as the years progressed, and despite some remedial work, a refurbishment was the “only solution.”

Fundraising efforts began in 2016, but there were times “[they] did not think [they] would make it” because the total cost of a “fully spec” sports field, dugouts and fencing was “well over €200,000”.

The “breakthrough” came when Sports Capital funding of more than €100,000 was received.

Speaking after the opening, Deputy Brendan Smith complimented those who brought the project to fruition.

“The redeveloped pitch clearly shows that the expenditure on this playing facility was put to good use and I am very glad to have strongly supported the Sports Capital Grant applications submitted by CMETB and Breifne College.”