Mayo GAA stadium shortlisted for prestigious award

Hastings Insurance MacHale Park is among the contenders for the prestigious GAA Pitch of the Year award, county board delegates were told last night.

The home of Mayo GAA made it into the top four nationally following a rigorous referees’ assessment process from games throughout the year.

Assessors visited the Castlebar ground last Tuesday, where a detailed presentation was delivered outlining the maintenance programme and development work undertaken since 2020.

Mayo GAA county board chairman Seamus Tuohy said the recognition is “a credit to the work being done and to the volunteers who keep the pitch at such a high standard.”

Officials said they were “very proud” of the achievement and paid tribute to those who have driven the project forward over the last four years.

Gerry Bourke spoke in front of delegates and recalled how the transformation began after he was first asked to get involved in the grounds committee a number of years ago.

“Before that, it was all ad-hoc,” he said. “The first thing I did was put a proper committee together, Michael Cummins, who looks after grants and machinery, Michael McKenzie, Michael Durkin, Seamus Tuohy, and Phil Meenaghan.

Phil is here at 8am on a Saturday morning and won’t leave until night. The work he does is invaluable.

It’s his second home and I’d nearly say it’s his first,” Bourke said.

Back then, Bourke said the only machinery available was an old Massey Ferguson that was shared with Castlebar Mitchel’s.

Since then, through grants secured by Cummins, the committee now has its own tractor, a John Deere cutter, a quad machine capable of scarifying the ground, a roller, and a liquid sprayer for fertiliser as well as a granular one.

A contractor carries out sanding and seeding work.

Maintenance has become highly specialised. “Last Sunday morning Michael McKenzie and myself were back out with liquid nitrogen, dissolved seaweed and iron,” Bourke explained.

A fertiliser expert has also come on board to advise on treatments.

MacHale Park’s all-seater capacity even drew comparisons to Croke Park.

Senior Croke Park officials, including head groundsman Stuart Wilson visited last Tuesday for the assessment.

Cummins presented a full 12-month maintenance plan, demonstrating that every month’s work is logged and completed.

Bourke said that they have built up expertise and equipment that “no other county” can match. Goalmouths have been replaced with Croke Park sod, as has the area in front of the tunnel.

Heavy use, including the Connacht rugby fixture has taken a toll, and the committee is exploring additional supports such as a smaller-scale lighting structure similar to those used in Croke Park but stressed they will not be as large.

None of the progress, Bourke noted, would be possible without the support of Mayo GAA officials, “It makes my job easy,” he said.

After games, Bourke and volunteers rush out to repair divots within the crucial first 24 hours. “It’s important as the roots take effect straight away.”

He reiterated that MacHale Park is a stadium, not a training ground. “Teams will have no qualms about the surface, but we can’t afford to let them train on it. Before games, yes, but not regularly.

And we can’t have crowds going out on it after matches.

Commentators on television say it’s wonderful to see, and it is, but the damage is huge, and someone has to repair it.”

Despite hosting 98 games so far this year, with the number set to climb over 100 before the end of the year, the pitch remains in excellent condition.

Underage fixtures in condensed periods add further pressure. The county board is also examining the possibility of new dugouts and reinstating presentations on the far side of the ground, where they historically took place.

The pitch’s location and overhanging stand means half of it is deprived of sunlight for much of the year, making maintenance even more challenging.

Still, Bourke insists the surface is now “in a good place.”

“To be in the top four is huge,” he said. “We mightn’t win it, but if we do, it would be great.

Either way, it’s a massive boost to everyone who works on the pitch.”