Connacht Rugby’s Pat Lam and Galway GAA’s main sponsor, Pat McDonagh of Supermac’s will be the guest speakers at a breakfast event in the Loughrea Hotel and Spa on Tuesday (May 9th) morning that is being hosted by Oranmore/Maree GAA to raise funds for a major new development for the club. The club has made a significant investment in upgrading playing facilities over recent years and is also on the cusp of this major new development. The club is in the process of purchasing and developing 24 acres of land in Rinville adjacent to the park, which is half way between Oranmore and Maree. It is proposed to develop this land as a training facility which will include:
- A Full size 145 x 85 metre all weather 4G Astro-Turf;
- Full sized sand based pitches;
- Juvenile sand-based pitches;
- Low level illuminated walking/jogging track;
- Changing facilities with showers & toilets;
- Parking area
With in excess of 800 members the club give encouragement to both hurling and football in equal measure while enjoying a strong relationship with both the Oranmore Maree Camogie club and Naomh Mhuire who represent the parish at Ladies football.
Oranmore/Maree GAA Club is also strongly represented on a number of county teams including Niall Burke and Gearoid McInerney on the Galway Senior hurling team. Gearoid's brother Sean was involved earlier this year until an unfortunate injury forced him to withdraw from the panel. In 2015 Ross Malone and Rian Maher were part of the victorious minor hurling winning team. The minor football panel includes Jim Crowley and Luke Smyth while Nicholas Sheehan and Conor Tarpey are on the under 21 football panel. The under 21 football team is managed by Gerry Fahy and club members Tim Rabbitt, Paul Pender and Donie O'Boyle are part of the management team.
The depth of coaching talent at the club is key to its continued success with prominent members such as Pat Malone, Frank Lohan, Tony Keady, Gerry McInerney, Sean Og DePaor, Gerry Fahy, Tim Rabbitt, John Fallon and John Reddington all of whom coach hurling and football week in week out!
Oranmore/Maree was founded in 1967 when the Maree and Oranmore GAA Clubs amalgamated by reason of a county by-law. The Maree and Oranmore clubs were very successful in their own right with numerous county titles including Maree winning the senior hurling title in 1933. The first documented hurling match in the parish took place in August 1885 when Craughwell travelled the short distance to Oranmore accompanied by two bands for extra entertainment. The GAA club was primarily associated with hurling in its early years and reached the county final in 1967 only to lose narrowly to Castlegar. The increase in population from the early 1980's onwards resulted in the increase in Gaelic Football being played and with a dedicated team of managers and coaches the club went from winning a Junior B title in 1986 to reaching a senior final in 1996 only to be defeated by An Cheathrú Rua. In 2000 Oranmore/Maree was crowned Connacht Club of the year. In recent years, a lot of work has gone into coaching structures and the fruits of this were evident in recent years when the club won titles in both hurling and football at Under 16, Minor and Under 21.
Club Chairperson Gerry Rabbitte praised the efforts of all involved in the fundraiser. “It takes a great deal of effort to organise an event like this and credit is due to all the organising committee for all the hard work they have put in. I would like to thank both Pat Lam and Pat McDonagh for supporting us and giving their time on the day.”
For further information please contact Vinny Byrne @ 087 7979656
