The project had taken fourteen years to bring it from concept to fruition but it was a wait that was well worthwhile as the splendid new two pitch Gavan Duffy complex and clubhouse were officially opened by GAA President, Sean Kelly, at a special ceremony in Gavan Duffy Park on Saturday 27th August. There was a good sized gathering with the weather also playing its part as Gavan Duffy Park was bathed in sunshine as a host of dignitaries, club members and guests assembled for the formal occasion. Club chairman Fergus Coyle welcomed everyone and acted as MC expressing special words of welcome to GAA president Sean Kelly and his wife Juliet. "There are many things happening, major events in the GAA calendar this weekend but we appreciate the statement of support for the grass roots of the association that Uachtaran Sean Kelly is making in being with us here today". He welcomed the representatives of other sports in the town and the representatives of the various religious communities, "something" he said "that symbolises the cross community element of the club since its foundation". There were representatives too of all the primary and post primary schools in the Monaghan town area, the Gardai, Ceann Comhairle of Dail Eireann, Rory O'Hanlon and Jack Leslie, a member of the Leslie family of Glaslough who had been represented at the meeting at which the club was founded 100 years ago. He also expressed special words of welcome to George Gavin Duffy from Castlepollard in County Westmeath, a direct descendant of the Gavan Duffy after whom the Park is named. "This is a great day in the annals of our club", the chairman went on "and this has been the most comprehensive development ever undertaken by the club and it would not have happened without the dedicated commitment and support of so many people. The project too is proof that the amateur ethos of the association is still working very well as a project of this magnitude would be unaffordable if professional fees had been involved in the work. The decision to relocate to a venue in the heart of the town in 1991 is something that has worked out well with our new clubhouse being described as an engineering jewel but it is one that is also generating great use from the various community groups and it will be a great ongoing asset for Monaghan town. In bringing the project to its conclusion he had special words of thanks for Monaghan Urban Council, the department of Art and Tourism, Monaghan County Board and the Ulster Council and he had special words of thanks also to the local media particularly The Northern Standard newspaper and Northern Sound Radio for their coverage off the club's affairs. This development too" he said, "commemorates alot of people who have passed on to their eternal reward and with these facilities we can meet the challenge of the new century. We are fit and prepared to take on the urban challenge head-on and the project reminds me of the words of a Kavanagh poem likening it to "the stepping stones across the stream" and in conclusion he again thanked everyone who had helped in any way and everyone who had come along on the day to join in their celebrations. The chairman of Monaghan County Board, John Connolly addressed the gathering and spoke of "the great pleasure it was to come here to the official opening of these fine facilities in the heart of Monaghan town. This is something that hasn't come easy and is the result of alot of work by a lot of people as the development of such a project as this is a huge undertakings both from a physical and a funding point of view. We are proud to see such facilities here in the town and on behalf of the County Board I want to acknowledge that and I want to thank the Monaghan Harps club and their officers both past and present for their input to this particular project and to the association in the county". He had special words of praise for Eamonn Keeleghan whom he described as "the guiding hand behind the project" and also acknowledged the input of John Harden whom he described as "a great worker for both the club and the county. The Harps" he said is a vibrant club and is very active at all levels particularly at juvenile level and I wish them well in the future here in their excellently appointed new headquarters and with the level of work that they are putting in they will reap rewards in the years ahead. The Monaghan club has been generous to us at county level and I want to thank them for their help in hosting county teams and championship matches and for the hospitality that we have always enjoyed in Gavan Duffy Park. GAA President Sean Kelly speaking initially as Gaeilge spoke of the pleasure it was for him to be here and he complimented the club on the wonderful facilities that they had in such a superb location. "This is at top-quality facility right in the heart of Monaghan town and the club was very fortunate in that they had the co-operation of the North-Eastern Health Board and the local authorities in bringing this project from concept to fruition. As well as two fine pitches, the main pitch is a Prunty pitch and they don't come any better than a Prunty pitch, the club has also provided excellent facilities in their clubhouse with handball and squash courts and a place for people to socialise so that they can embrace, enhance and serve the whole family and the entire community. He congratulated the chairman on the wonderful work that the club was doing in all aspects of giving games to the youth and with a ladies club they were making a statement that they were embracing the concept off whole family involvement in sport. Referring to the point made by Fergus Coyle, the chairman of the club, about major events in the GAA elsewhere today he emphasised the total belief that he has that the club is still the bedrock of the association when he said "the most important activity in the GAA today is here in Monaghan and I am very pleased to be here and I want to wish the club and its players every success and I know they will go on to be successful. There is a great vibrancy about Monaghan at club and county level at the moment and I know you will get the rewards for your great efforts". Sean Kelly then declared the new Gavan Duffy Park officially open by cutting the ceremonial tape. To mark the occasion John Harden, club treasurer, made a special presentation to Sean Kelly and Mary Coyle, wife of club chairman Fergus Coyle made a special presentation to Sean Kelly's wife Juliet to mark her visit to the Monaghan Harps club. ECUMENICAL BLESSING. Sport and involvement in sport was the theme of the readings and the prayers for the ecumenical blessing which was conducted jointly by Bishop Joseph Duffy, Bishop of Clogher, Rev Ian Berry, Rev Burnside and Fr. McEneaney. Bishop Duffy spoke off "belief in the value of sport, the benefits to young people and how community life can be enriched by involvement in sport and the theme of the Scripture reading, Hebrews chapt. 12, by Rev Ian Berry was "the importance and the value of focus in sport as in life". Fr. McEneaney spoke of those who give generously of their time and he offered thanks for those who had worked for the enhancement of the club over the past hundred years. Bishop Duffy, in a short address before jointly conducting the ecumenical blessing said that "the official opening of Gavin Duffy Park should be seen as the beginning of something and not the end of something and it gives great potential to the young people of Monaghan town. In moralising on such occasions as this people tend to concentrate or focus in on the abuse of alcohol and drugs but there is another serious health issue that has arisen in recent times" he told the people, "and that is the levels of obesity and overweight in young people. Statistics" he said "show that young people watch television for three to four hours every day and two-thirds of them take inadequate physical exercise. Such statistics" he said "more than justified what the GAA is all about and involvement in games is extremely valuable for the physical and mental health of the entire community and I complement the GAA and the other sporting organisations for what they are doing in that regard". He then asked everyone to join with him in the Lord's Prayer after which he along with Rev Ian Berry and Rev Richardson jointly read the prayer of blessing. Tweet

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