‘We’re just looking for fairness’ — Dublin GAA club struggles without home ground

Na Gaeil Óga is an all-Irish GAA club based in Lucan, consisting of a wide range of teams for children and adults in hurling, camogie, and women’s and men’s football.

The club’s underage teams mainly serve the student population of the three Gaelscoils in the area, although any children who have a cúpla focail are also welcome.

The club, originally formed in 2010, has been campaigning for a pitch for the past eight years. Unfortunately, due to capacity constraints, the underage teams train in Lucan and Kildare while adult teams train in the Phoenix Park.

Nichola Oman, a mum of two girls who play with the club and a coach with the under-9 girls’ teams, told the Irish Independent it’s been “difficult on parents” looking at the facilities available to other clubs in the area.

“We need more than a pitch, we need a clubhouse. I believe if we don’t have this facilitated in the near future it could do damage to the club,” she said.

“If we don’t step up now, we’re afraid what damage will happen in the future as the kids are not being seen in their local area or training together which can impact our community morale.”

Another important aspect of Na Gaeil Óga is the opportunity they’re giving people to speak the Irish language.

“These kids are getting the opportunity to speak as Gaeilge outside the classroom,” Ms Oman added.

Na Gaeil Óga has been consistently looking for pitch allocations in the community but has been declined without explanation, according to club members.

Other clubs in the Dublin area are embarking on their own similar campaigns to acquire their own grounds.

Gaeil Raghnallach in Dublin 6 and Cumann Báire Chaoimhín in Dublin 8 are among other clubs in the city with no fixed abode either.