Offaly GAA lease 15 acres of additional land at Faithful Fields

OFFALY GAA have secured a long term lease on close to an additional 15 acres of land at Faithful Fields in Kilcormac.

The lease with local landowners, Tom and Sean Leonard will be formally signed in the coming days. It will bring an end to two years of discussions that were initiated by local councillor and GAA activist John Leahy when he became aware of the possibility of the land becoming available.

The additional land will be a great asset to Offaly GAA and they will come up with a comprehensive plan for its development in the coming months. It will enable them to develop extra playing pitches while providing a full all weather pitch will be one of their big objectives. It will also allow them to provide extra car parking facilities, which will be a big help as Faithful Fields is regularly used for big games.

Faithful Fields was initially developed in the mid 2010s after a 99 year lease was taken out on 21 acres of land from Offaly County Council. Known locally as the “Cow Park”, it had been initially in the hands of Kilcormac Development Association for development of industrial units but they agreed to relinquish their rights once it became clear that it would not be developed in this way following the crash of the Celtic Tiger.

That lease was secured for a nominal figure and the development of Faithful Fields has been a pivotal factor in Offaly GAA's playing fortunes turning around in recent years. Four full sized playing pitches were provided with floodlights while a stand and fencing was later erected at the main one – this has been used for big county U-20 and minor games as well as club fixtures.

It has been the training base for all Offaly football and hurling teams and has also been used by camogie and ladies football – the Offaly Camogie County Board are in the process of securing their own playing pitch at Crinkle. The impressive complex includes dressing rooms, meeting rooms, catering facilities, a state of the art gym and an all weather warm up area.

Remarkably, it was built without a debt, though the running costs of Faithful Fields are substantial. The 2024 Offaly GAA accounts show that there was a loss of €91,121 on Faithful Fields: income was €76,321 and expenses were €167,442.

The new land will significantly increase the county's financial commitments here. The undisclosed yearly lease fee will have to be met and then there will be the considerable costs of developing and maintaining the ground.

However, with full integration of the GAA, camogie and ladies football looming, the need for extra training facilities will increase in the coming years and Offaly GAA chairman Michael Duignan said they are delighted to get their hands on the land.

The outside perimeter of the land is being leased by Offaly Athletics and will be developed as a cross country course by them.

A particularly poignant aspect of the deal is that the land was once owned by one of Offaly hurling's favourite sons, the late Charlie Daly. A passionate hurling man, Charlie was a selector with the Offaly side that won their first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship title in 1981. His cottage remains standing at the land on the Kilcormac side of Faithful Fields and this and a small portion of ground is not included in the deal.

Securing the lease is one of the final acts of Offaly GAA chairman, secretary and treasurer, Michael Duignan, Colm Cummins and Dervill Dolan who stood down at Convention on Tuesday evening after serving their term.

A fundraising committee will be set up to finance the new Faithful Fields project and Michael Duignan confirmed that he will help on this.