Official Opening of Trim GAA Grounds - Next Sunday 12th. May at 6PM.

Although our new Club House and pitches have been in use for over three years there has been ongoing capital expenditure and development to further improve the facilities in our quest to make our grounds one of the best in the country. For instance in 2012 further upgrades were completed with gated fencing surrounding the grounds for crowd control, Ladies and Gents outdoor toilets for supporters, 'behind the goals' netting on pitch No. 1, astro turf goals on pitch No. 1, excavation of the entrance area beside pitch No 1 and landscaping of the beds in front of the clubhouse and our plan is to erect turn styles early in 2013.

We now believe that it is therefore time to have an official opening. So earlier this year we sent a request to Coiste na Mhi to allow us have an intercounty football challenge game with the Meath team involved. The response was quick informing us that we could host the Meath and Louth senior football teams in a pre championship challenge on Sunday 12th. May at 6PM.

When we were informed that the opposition would be Louth we were delighted. They are a high profile team and the red and white brings great colour to any occasion. Indeed our club colours are also red and white so we will feel very comfortable when they take the field. Of course there has been always a bite to Meath v Louth challenges and even more so since that fateful day, the 11th. July 2010, Leinster final day. Louth were in front by two points at the 70 minute mark. With three minutes additional time to be played, Meath threw everything at the 'wee' county. A high ball in towards the goal mouth was caught by Joe Sheridan who turned and shot. The ball somehow was kept out by Louth. It dropped to Sheridan again who tripped over the Louth full back Dessie Finnegan, while also being rolled over by goalkeeper Neil Gallagher and somehow the ball ended up in the back of the net. The goal was awarded and Meath won the Leinster Senior Football title for 2010.

Daylight robbery and the Meath lads were never forgiven. Every Meath v Louth game since then has been eagerly awaited and this one will be no different.

In the mid 1990's St Loman's park was in need of an upgrade. The pitch had been procured in 1940 and over the following 55 years the dressing room facilities had been built and modified a number of times but it was realised by the club and anybody that visited that we were behind the times. Most other clubs in Meath had more up to date facilities even though we were the county hurling grounds and were hosting most Meath county hurling finals.

So with the club heading for the 21st century and ever increasing in size it was felt that the playing facilities needed to be upgraded. In 1996 seventeen acres of land adjoining the existing grounds was purchased. With the procurement of the land in 1998 work commenced on two new pitches in 1999 and were opened for play in 2002. In 2007 flood lights were erected on one of the new pitches which permitted night games in football and hurling to be played.

Side by side with the pitch development were extensive discussions with Meath County Council in relation to the building of a community centre and dressing rooms on the existing juvenile pitch. This was to be a joint venture. The GAA club would donate the necessary ground for the Centre, free of charge, in return for getting dressing rooms built on one end of the Centre. This venture did not reach fruition as public and private funding was not available. The club continued on with the existing facilities and the three playing pitches. In 2004 negotiations with Meath County Council came to a head with the decision that the club would donate a strip of land to the Council, free of charge, for the building of the Community Centre and other Community facilities. The club would also build their own clubhouse at the South West end of the main pitch strategically placed to look over all of the three pitches. Towards the end of 2008 the dressing rooms were opened in the new club house. In 2009 the clubhouse was completed.

The entrance foyer is a magnificent two storey naturally lit glass structure, with stairway and a lift up to a Lounge bar, a conference hall and a function room (bingo, bowling, club functions etc). Downstairs consists of a sports hall, a large meeting room, a small meeting room and an office. Facing the main pitch are six large dressing rooms, each with showers and toilet facilities and two equipment rooms. In May 2010 the main pitch was reopened (after two years of excavation) with steel surround fencing and team dug-outs. The ground surrounding the clubhouse and the relocated entrance has a tarmaced surface with parking facilities for 200 vehicles.

Trim GAA are proud to have one of the finest sporting facilities in the country and a solid foundation for our Club and the GAA community in Trim and County Meath club for many years to come.

Leinster council chairman Martin Skelly will unveil a plaque to open the grounds at 5.30PM and will be supported with speeches from Coiste na Mhi Chairman Conor Tormey and Trim GAA chairman Martin Dempsey. The Athboy accordion band will be in attendance and LMFM's Frank Dempsey will be MC on the night.

We cordially invite you to a great evening on Sunday next and look forward to seeing you there. Tweet

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