About two years ago the soccer clubs in Ringsend thought it was time to put their differences behind them and try to work together to improve the pitches in Ring send Park.

The first thing we did was to arrange a few meetings to hear what problems each club had and what could be done. We found that our problems were all the same ones. Our next step was to see what could be done and what help we would need.

We contacted some of the TDs in the area and we arranged to meet with Dublin City Council. The TDs were very helpful and the meeting with Pat Curran and Gerry Barry from the City Council went very well. The Council could see the problems we had with the pitches being in a bad way and the number of teams who were trying to fit into the park. We have 2 intermediate teams, 11 junior teams and 24 school boys’ teams. We represent 10 clubs from Ringsend, Pearse Street and Bath Avenue areas. Ages range from 7 to 50.

Our aim is to make the park the best park around to play soccer in and with the surfaces of the pitches to be improved to a standard that the clubs deserve. Because we have so many people in the area who love to play soccer, and the amount of teams and clubs we represent, our problem was we only had one intermediate pitch, two junior pitches and one schoolboy pitch.

At the time, we even had a Ringsend Club having to play their home games outside the area. So after our meetings with the council we came up with a plan of action. What was proposed was to build one full-size all-weather pitch that would be floodlit and one seven-a-side all-weather pitch with a multi-purpose playground beside it. All of the new pitches would be floodlit, and the seven-a-side would be for schoolboys and girls use only. The FAI soccer courses and the local schools can avail of it during the day.

Where we are at the moment is the multi-purpose and the seven-a-side pitches are up and running. The schoolboys have all reported back to us and from what we see, all concerned are over the moon. Where in the past the schoolboys would have to train on the sides of roads or wherever they could or they would have to hire out halls or other all-weather five-a-side grounds that are very expensive. Now all our kids have a state-of-the-art ground which will only benefit them in the future.

The main all-weather ground will be up and running in the summer,. The need for this ground is a must if the clubs of Ringsend Park are to survive. It also means that we and the Council can then start to look at the other pitches in the park that must be brought up to the standards of the leagues the clubs play in.

For years the best talent in the area would leave to play for clubs that had the setups we are now hoping to get. The first part is finished but we have a lot more to do. Dublin 4 and 2 has in the past produced more internationals than any other area and this was without the setup we have now, so the future is looking good.

If anyone has any ideas or would like to get involved, all help is welcome. There are many people who have spent a lot of time and effort to make these things happen. Thanks to Pat Curran, Dublin City Council; TDs Chris Andrews and Kevin Humphreys; Frank O’Sullivan; Irishtown Stadium; Joe Corcoran; Joe Smith; Cambridge; Anthony Gannon and John Griffin; Liffey Pearse; Boy Murphy; Bridge United; Barry Benson, Vintage; Tony Boland, Ringsend Rovers, Irishtown; Kevin Reynolds; St Marks; Bath Rangers; Marks Celtic; Pat Healy; St Pat’s CY; and David Smasher Kemple.

Yours in sport, Chairman, Derek Charlie Bowden.

Pictured playing in Ringsend Park and on right are the Cambridge Boys team who won the Mini World Cup (above) recently.