'Meitheal' spirit thriving in Mayo as 200 volunteers support tennis Dome clean-up

The traditional Irish community spirit of 'Meithead' - people coming together for a major work initiative - is alive and thriving in the county town of Castlebar.

Over 200 volunteers turned out today to assist members of Castlebar Tennis Club remove a considerable amount of storm debris from their Dome facility.

The Dome was ripped apart last Sunday evening during Storm Isha, leaving the club with a massive bill to restore it.

It is going to take several months before sufficient funding is in place to erect a new structure to cover the four clay courts again.

But, in the interest of health and safety, all of the amenity's damaged structural works, including vast amounts of materials which made up the Dome's roof and walls, had to be removed from the playing surface and made ready for recycling.

Thanks to the efforts of so many volunteers - including members of the Castlebar Community Clean-up team - all of this painstaking work has been mostly completed.

The courts are now ready to be swept and made ready for 'outdoor tennis' over the weeks and months ahead.

This will ensure the activities of the club, which incorporates a regional coaching centre, will continue with some level of normality.

Club officials are very grateful to everybody who turned out today and helped restore faith in the club's future following a devastating week.

"We had no control over what happened and, while it was a complete disaster for us, we now see it as opening up a fresh opportunity for the sport going forward in Castlebar," one club official told The Connaught Telegraph.

The club has already raised €17,450 of an initial target of €75,000 via a gofundme page organised by club chairman Patrick Quinn.

There have been a total of 262 donations when it was checked at 2 p.m. today.

People in a position to make a contribution, however small, are asked to do so.

Local Oireachtas members, Senator Paddy Burke and Senator Lisa Chambers, have joined in appealing for emergency government funding towards the facility.