A.

A.1.     Araglin

B.

B.1.     Ballyclough

Ballyclough GAA Club opened our current ground, Dr Croke Park, in 1998. Up until then we had used a field belonging to Patrick Aherne. In 1994 we reached agreement with local landowner, Denis Crowley, on the purchase of seven acres for £45,000. Work on the pitch began in May 95. The contractor was Michael Lynes from Cecilstown and the Engineer was Michael Buckley from Bandon. The dressing rooms and stand were built by Colm Dulohery Construction from Mourneabbey. The pitch was officially opened on May 10th 1998 with a Hurling match between Cork and Tipperary.

B.2.     Ballygiblin

In 1977, Ballygiblin GAA Club had a stroke of good fortune when a prize bond ticket, purchased in the club’s name by Ned Barry and Paddy Tobin, won £25,000. This windfall allowed the club to buy 6.5 acres of land from John Hanrahan for the sum of £26,000. With further fundraising, the club engaged Eamon Cuddihy to develop the site, and in 1984 Ballygiblin proudly opened its new grounds.

B.3.     Ballyhea

B.4.     Ballyhooly

B.5.     Buttevant

The club has played in the former British Army barracks since 1922, and officially took over the grounds from the state in the 1950s.

C.

C.1      Castletownroche

The G.A.A. field was bought in December 1960 from Jack O'Brien for £1250. It consisted of seven and a half Acres. It was decided to level the field as it had a crossfall of 12 ft. from right to left. The contractor was Jim Cuddihy of Doneraile and the Engineer was Jack McCarthy from Ballyhooly. The remedial work began in 1961 and continued to the official opening in 1964. The total cost of the field and Development was £4000 and was fully paid for when the Grounds were officially opened on May 10th 1964.

The Club had that field rented prior to the purchase. During the Development work the Club's pitch was at Noonan's in Ballyadeen, and previously to that at Roche's in Ballygrellihan

C.2.     Charleville

Dr. Mannix Sportsfield in Charleville, County Cork, is the home ground for the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) hurling and football clubs, and it is named after Daniel Mannix, the Archbishop of Melbourne who was born in the town.

The decision to establish a proper playing field in Charleville was taken at a public mtg on 9th May 1962. Many years of fundraising took place, the main fundraiser being a weekly bingo, the first bingo night had a jackpot of £20. Dalys field was purchased for £3,000. Dressing rooms and facilities were built in 1982 at cost of £40,000

The pitch was officially opened on May 29th, 1983. Cork played Galway at the official opening

C.3.     Clyda Rovers

Like many clubs of its time, Clyda Rovers began life without a permanent home. In those early days, the team relied on the generosity of local farmers who offered up their fields so the young men of the parish could train and play. It was a time of boots on borrowed grass, when the only infrastructure needed was community spirit. 

Matches were played wherever a patch of ground could be found — The Burnfort Field, Pat O’Shea’s, Paddy O’Mullane’s, Monaparson, The Saoirse, and Con O’Connell’s. Many a lad danced the night away in Liam P.’s Hall in Barrinclay, before making an effort to turn out fresh-faced a few hours later for a match in the field behind it. The pitches may have been rough, but the pride was fierce. 

By the late 1960s, the parish began to dream of something more permanent — a place not just for football, but for community gatherings. A group was formed to raise funds and find a suitable site. That dream became reality in 1975, when land was purchased by the community for a playing field and future development. In 1977, construction began on the new Community Centre, which opened its doors in 1979. 

The pitch itself saw major improvements in 1986, with reseeding, new goalposts, and fencing — signs that the club was growing, and so too was its ambition. 

In those early years, the grounds hosted more than football. Gymkhanas, sulky racing, and even greyhound racing took place on what would later become hallowed turf.  Opportunity knocked again in 1999, when two parcels of land — a shade over 7 and a half acres belonging to the O’Connell family — came up for sale on either side of a road  that ran through the heart of the present-day complex. The land was bought, and a Development Committee was formed to plan the next chapter. After a series of public meetings, a ten-year development plan was drawn up in 2002 with the help of MCOCOS Consultants, shaped by the ideas and hopes of the community. 

The next challenge was closing the road and securing planning permission for the new pitch. Approval came in 2003, and attention turned to funding. In October of that year, the club launched a monster draw, with a grand prize of €20,000. Volunteers carved up maps of the countryside and hit the roads selling €20 tickets. Over 10,000 tickets were sold — a phenomenal effort by the men and women who rolled their sleeves up and  body and soul and shoe leather into the endeavour, a testament to the parish’s spirit. 

In July 2004, Kelly Brothers of Ballydesmond arrived to begin work on the new all- weather pitch. An extra strip of land was purchased from Willie and Maureen Buckley to allow for a full-sized playing field. The road was closed, and a new entrance was created on the Abbey side. Despite delays due to poor weather, the grass was finally laid in April 2005.

A proud moment came in August 2006, when the Clyda Rovers Premier Intermediate footballers played the first match on the new pitch — a challenge game against  Ballincollig. It was more than a match; it was another milestone on the journey to  building a home. 

Attention then turned to the old pitch, which was realigned and reseeded to match the new one. With growing demand from local clubs, having two high-quality pitches was essential. 

In early 2009, the main pitch was fitted with floodlights — a major investment of over  
€140,000, and a shining symbol of how far the club had come. 

Today, the grounds are more than just a place to play — they’re the beating heart of the parish. Under floodlights on winter nights, teams train with the same grit and grá that built the place. The ladies club has prepared here for All-Ireland glory, and the pitch has welcomed some of Cork’s finest during championship summers. 

The addition of the astroturf pitch in 2021 means training never stops, no matter the weather. A walking track and playground, added in recent years, have turned the area  into a space for everyone — young and old, player and spectator, neighbour and newcomer. 

From borrowed fields to state-of-the-art facilities, the story of our pitch is a story of community, of vision, and of countless hands pulling together. It stands today not just  as a home for Clyda Rovers and Mourneabbey Ladies, but as a proud symbol of what a  parish can achieve when it dreams big and digs deep

D

D.1.     Doneraile

In April 1957 P O’Keeffe, General Secretary of the GAA, performed the official opening ceremony of the Canon Sheehan Memorial Park at Doneraile. Also present were Andy Scannell, chairman Cork County Board, George Green, the first chairman of the Avondhu

Division, and Patrick Piggott from Doneraile, the North Cork board’s first secretary. A tournament game featuring Cork and Wexford who played out a memorable All-Ireland in 1956 was the feature of the opening day with victory going to the Slaney-siders.

F

F.1.      Fermoy

The British Army presence in Fermoy, from the early 19^th century until independence in 1922, was marked by the military barracks straddling Barrack’s Hill. Today’s GAA grounds sits on the site of the former barracks square. The parks ornamental gate formed part of the barracks wall and is one of the few remaining remnants of the military’s time in the town.

When the British army left Fermoy, the barracks were burn to the ground. The Minister for Finance leased part of the grounds to Fermoy Sports Company Ltd, a  grouped supported by local businesses and individuals, on the 7^th March 1933, and that opened officially on the 6^th May 1934, and that included a Sports Field, surrounded by a cycling and athletics track.

In 1945, the grounds became invested in the local GAA on a 99 lease, and has been constantly improved since, with new dressing rooms, an astra turf area, and presently a new training pitch and realignment of the main pitch.

The Pitch is called after Michael Fitzgerald, an IRA volunteer, who died in Cork Prison while on hunger strike during the War of Independence.                                  

G

G.1.     Glanworth

During the year of 1958, work took place on new Glanworth GAA Grounds on the Kildorrery Road thanks to funds from their great benefactor from the USA, Cardinal Cushing who has roots in Glanworth parish.

The earliest evidence of Glanworth’s association with the GAA dates to 1888 when it is listed among the members of the breakaway O Brien Board. There is no record of the club participating in the official championships for the next forty two years but it regularly played in local tournaments and indeed provided facilities for championship fixtures - an undated newspaper cutting from the 1890s gives a detailed report of a game “in connection with the County Championship” played at Glanworth and “witnessed by several thousand spectators”. Mitchelstown Blackthorns defeated Ballindangan Shamrocks in a game obviously of considerable interest and no doubt requiring a high level of organisation on the part of the local club.

We are fortunate however to have the original club minutes for 1895. These give a picture of the running of an active organisation including the more mundane but essential business of club meetings. Early in the year, in March, a meeting decided “that six long poles be provided for the use of the club”, no doubt a reference to the goalmouth layout of the time. The club relied on the goodwill of landowners to provide playing facilities: at the meeting of April 25th it was noted “that the best thanks of this committee are due and hereby respectfully tendered to Thomas Greene Esq., Airhill, for his kindness in placing an excellent field at our disposal for a football match last Sunday”.

And so as far as the basic requirement of having a playing field became more urgent especially with the club’s affiliation from 1931 onwards so also did the nomadic nature of this provision continue into the 1950s. Another extant minute book covering activities for 1940 and 1941 illustrates the concerns in fulfilling this necessity: at a September 1940 meeting three members “promised scythes to cut thistles on field in preparation for Sunday’s match with Kilworth”. In June of the following year “it was decided to make inquiries about securing stakes and wire to enclose pitch for Championship fixtures June 22nd and also to erect permanent frames for goal nets”. On another occasion the pitch was vacated for a period to avoid undue disturbance to the owner who was seriously ill.

Then came the decision to build a new National School in Glanworth and as luck would have it the preferred site was the field being rented by the GAA club for many years. The quid pro quo however was to be the purchase of a playing field on the northern edge of the village thus providing some permanency for the playing of field sports. This purchase was for the benefit of the parish and not exclusively for any single organisation – in fact it was to be a community field and thereby came the catch: the GAA which was the pre-eminent user of the field could not avail of any development grants and so struggled down through the years to develop the venue from its own local resources. While it is still the case that the field is vested in Glanworth Parish the availability of Community Grants in recent years has enabled the undertaking of a range of improvements under the auspices of the Glanworth GAA club.

Now that certainty of tenure had been established the first permanent upgrades began to be undertaken: the 1960s saw the playing area being marked off with chain-link wire fencing and concrete posts. A new entrance was constructed and the roadside boundary was established with a wall of concrete panels.

Perhaps the most momentous decision taken by the club was the construction of dressing rooms consisting of four changing areas together with shower and toilet facilities. Work on the building commenced in May 1981 and the first activity, a club fortnightly meeting, took place there on 6th September 1983. Togging out in the shelter of furze bushes or from the car boot was forever a memory!

The playing surface of Glanworth pitch had been, since coming into use, somewhat of an embarrassment due to the pronounced fall between both ends. In fact the difference in level was some twelve feet (3.5m) thus becoming one more unwelcome strategy to be decided upon before a game. It was agreed to tackle this problem and in June 1985 major earthworks began. However this project proved to be extremely challenging particularly from the drainage aspect. It was to be three years before the first championship match was played on it – JAFC Mitchelstown v Kilworth on 15th July 1988.

And so as the years went by it was well appreciated that an ever-improving standard would be required to entice players and followers to continue supporting the club. Accordingly a concrete walkway was laid around .the pitch for the benefit of the local exercising community. This facility was subsequently fitted with lighting for night-time use while the whole walkway was provided with new perimeter fencing for the safety and comfort of match spectators. Dug-outs were also incorporated into the development.

By 2014 the dressing rooms constructed in the early 80s were patently in need of refurbishment, In April of that year ground was broken for the doubling in size of the built complex providing dedicated accommodation for meetings, players and officials while part of the building was converted into a permanent gym. A hurling wall has been added to the campus in recent years.

Ironically a portion of the original pitch forfeited for the new school has come back into play again in the form of an all-weather pitch for use by the local community outside of school-hours thus squaring the circle.

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.

G.2.     Grange

• In 1935-1937 Grange played in Leahy’s field in Garraunigerinagh. A number of cottages were built in this field in the 1930’s.
• In 1954 Thomas O Brien of the Stand House, Sheepwalk East allowed the club to use a field near his house as football field. This field was sold in 1955
• In 1956 Paul Barry, Sheepwalk East gave a pitch and the use of an old cottage as a clubhouse to the club
• Around 1973, the filed in Sheepwalk was ploughed and a small field in Garraunigerinagh, the property of Mrs Rita Barry was used mainly for training and for a few challenge matches.
• Some houses were built in this field in the mid-seventies and a field, the property of Mr. John Foley was used for training. During the period 1974 to 1976, thanks to the generosity of the 1^st motor Squadron in Fitzgerald Army camp in Fermoy, many games were played in the camp football pitch.
• In 1976, Carey Joyce gave the use of a field in Labbacallee townland which is still in use as the Grange pitch. Around the late 1970’s, the club purchased a large, prefabricated school building from Fermoy parish (it had been used by the CBS primary school as classrooms) and erected it in Joyce’s field where it still serves as dressing room and clubhouse.

K

K.1.     Kildorrery

The Club were renting various fields in the parish prior to 1956 e g where the nursing home in Carhue 1951 / 1954. Another field below Tommy O Regans also in Carhue following that. Club were frantically looking for their own place. 3 fields came on the market in early 1956 owned by the elderly Clancy Sisters who were living and owned where Sheahans now stands. The fields were put on the market with a public auction in May. The club decided they would pay 800 pounds and were satisfied that amount would be sufficient to purchase the property. However, there an unknown bidder who pushed up the price to 1200. The Auctioneer withdrew the sale for private negotiations. The Club agreed to approach the other parties who would withdraw their offer and the Club finalised the purchase in July 1956.

Huge renovations and levelling had to begin which cost a further 1000 pounds. The property opened in early 1958 and we hosted Cork v Tipp in the Munster Junior hurling and football championships in May 58. From then on, the club had a ground they could call their own. Moving into the future further work was carried out to improve the pitch. One of the biggest undertakings since the purchase of the pitch was the installation of the floodlights in 2006. This was a major undertaking and a vital project as the club continued to grow. 10 years later the club decided to construct a stand for the pitch. Another major undertaking that only proved to further improve our pitch. None of these two projects would have been possible without the help and support of the club members involved in raising funds to support the construction.

K.2.     Killavullen

The club members are very grateful to the farmers who gave their fields down through the years, particularly the Lucey family, Ballymacmoy who provided the club with a playing pitch for over 30 years. Prior to that venue, games were played in the Inch Field of the property, that is now part of the Nano Nagle Centre in Ballygriffin.

The club, to commemorate the centenary of the founding of the GAA in 1984, were very appreciative to the Browne Family from Killavullen from whom they purchased land near the village for the sum, of 20,000 pounds, paying in three years, without interest, and since then have developed the available area into a magnificent playing field. It took time, with a lot of earth moving and landscaping to facilitate the playing surfaces necessary for a playing pitch. A small segment of land had to be purchased from another local landowner, Mr. Michael Linehan, to facilitate the size and the shape of the main field. The field is called the Mill Field, as a prominent floor mill was adjacent to the present pitch, and the mill race directly across the field.

Two Dressing Rooms and a meeting room / Gym facilities area were added in time, and these are in heavy demand now. The gym was considerably enhanced in 2021. John Beechinor and Matty Dorgan, now both sadly gone to their eternal heavenly reward were pivotal to the success of the initial building of the dressing rooms, designed by architect John O Connell.

Recently, a second playing pitch has been leased from the adjoining property owner, Mr. Denis Linehan for which the club is very indebted to have this facility available to it.

K.3.     Kilshannig

There was no permanent pitch in the parish prior to 1958.Matches were played in various fields in different parts of the parish, fields kindly lent to these occasions but generally, we had no recognized pitch for practicing hurling or football. As a matter of fact, it was often necessary to get a suitable field for a match beyond the Blackwater River which at the time of the purchase, the sports field was in the Duhallow Division.

In the years before the purchase of the present field, there were numerous discussions on howe we could get a pitch one centrally situated and in 1958, the then Curate in Glantane, Fr. Mce O Donovan, RIP, set the ball rolling when he approached the Mullane family who owed the farm near the Village and had a discussion with them about the chance to buy a field from them, and in his own inimitable way succeeded in persuading them  to see the present GAA field. The one which the Mullane family had kindly allowed matches to be played on before that, and one of the finest fields in the parish. There then arose the problems of financing the purchase. So a meeting was calling of all the Voluntary Organizations in the area and everyone was delighted to hear Fr. O Donovan’s good news.  It was decided to raise money by matches, carnivals, concerts, Church Gate collections, plus Bingo, terrier racing and bazaars etc. In a very short time, enough money had been collected to purchase the field, have a  pitch wired off and dressing rooms built. Great credit to all those who contributed to the fund and helped generally in laying out etc. At a subsequent meeting, it was unanimously decided to call the field, The Liam O Connell Memorial Park, in memory of the Honorary Secretary, Michael O Connell, Glantane who acted as such from the time the field was purchased until he passed to his eternal reward. His brother Liam was a victim of the War of Independence, when he was shot in Dublin.

“Ar Deis De go Raib a Ainm na Marb”. At that time the field cost £1,000

K.4.     Kilworth

Kilworth first affiliated as a GAA club in 1928 with the 4-year-old North Cork board, and in 1932 permission was obtained by the Department of Defence to use the old British army soccer pitch in Moorepark as a GAA ground which was rented annually at a cost of £1. The soccer pitch was originally developed by the British Royal Engineers who were stationed in Moorepark at that time, and they must be acknowledged for the efforts that were carried out to make the current playing field the success that it is today. The painstaking process involved meticulously raising the sod and rolling it back, with the undersurface then levelled and cindered before finally replacing the sod.

In 1959, the year of the sub-division of Moore Park, the GAA field was purchased from the Land Commission with the late Bill Magnier, Pad Coughlan and John Finn all named as trustees. Fast forward 10 years and the energetic club committee unveiled exciting plans to develop modern, spacious dressing rooms each fitted with 4 showers, together with a referees room and fully functional toilets adjacent to the playing field costing a whopping £2,000 with a further £1,200 to spend on the field development. Once constructed the new dressing room development, would see Kilworth become the first club in North Cork to have dressing rooms and showers fully equipped with both hot and cold showers.

At a divisional board meeting held in the Parochial Hall, Doneraile in October 1969, a letter was read from the Kilworth club seeking a grant from the board towards the dressing room erection and field improvements. Following this meeting, a grant of £100 was approved with the late Rev. Fr. Burns, C.C. extending the clubs sincere thanks to the board adding that the divisional board had given as much as the county board and GAA councils combined to the project and that this is indeed a significant reflection on them.

The club pushed ahead with the project spearheaded by Club Chairman William Magnier, Hon. Secretary Sean O’Callaghan, and Hon. Treasurer John Finn (all RIP), with financial support coming through subscriptions from the local public, grants, and raffles. The majority of work was carried out by voluntary labour with two local Kilworth builders, Messrs. Larry Howard, and Paddy O’ Brien (both RIP) co-operating with the club throughout the project. Christy Lucey, Tim Long, Mick Greehy, Mick Hogan, Sean O’Callaghan, and Bill Coughlan (all RIP), to name a few also contributed considerably.

Upon completion the Kilworth venue, which has been noted as being one of the best in the division and county, set a glowing headline in pioneering a laudable movement which showed appreciation to all teams visiting its amenities. Such was the success that on Thursday June 1st, 1972, Kilworth hosted an Inter-County Senior Hurling challenge match between Cork and Kilkenny in an event to mark the official blessing and opening of the grounds and dressing rooms. John Carey (RIP) who was then Club Chairman presided with Rev. P. Condon (Parish Priest) conducting the blessing ceremony. Derry Gowen, Chairman of the Cork County board performed the opening ceremony who in his short address said that the spirit which animated and inspired the members of the Kilworth club was the same spirit by which the GAA rallied the people of Ireland in difficult times.

In 1991 the club under the Chairmanship of Mossy McNamara together with the support from the Community Council, negotiated the purchased sale of land from Dairygold and developed the adjacent second pitch. It is a true testament to all involved throughout the years that these are the fruits of what we now see today

L

L.1.      Liscarroll -Churchtown Gaels

M

M.1.     Mallow

The Mallow GAA Sports Complex, located on a 35-acre site in Carrigoon, officially opened in 2008, becoming a major recreational, sporting, and social hub for North Cork. It was developed by local developer John Barry's company, Castlelands Construction after the club agreed to the sale of its previous pitches in the south side of the town, a 19.3-acre green field site now owned by Cork County Council at Carhookeal, Mallow adjacent to Davis College, a large multi-denominational secondary school under the trusteeship of Cork ETB.  That site was never developed due to the economic downturn in 2007 /2008, but plans are afoot by Cork County Council to create a multi-sports facility on that site.  

The modern GAA complex in Carrigoon features two floodlit pitches, an all-weather playing pitch, and four sand-based pitches, a gym, an indoor arena, hurling alleys, dressing rooms, a bar, a function room, and a spectator stand. This state-of-the-art facility provides a central location for various events, including sporting competitions, concerts, and corporate events, in addition to serving the needs of local clubs and the wider community.

M.2.     Mitchelstown

Mitchelstown Gaa which was founded in 1887 like most clubs at the time did not have a home of its own and played matches in Brigown (Ryans field) and Kilee to name just two. In 1925 Mitchelstown had its first home in the Town Park later to be known as O Connell Park.The club invested heavily in the playing field in 1971 but alas a high court ruling in the mid-seventies proved to be very unsatisfactory to the Gaa club. A sub committee was formed in 1979 which included Dick Doyle, John Molan, Liam Cusack, Dan Coughlan, Tom O Brien, and Garda Billy Dunleavy to suss possible sites, but nothing came available until early 1980 when a 10-acre site was purchased on the Limerick Rd from the McEniry family. John Molan and Liam Cusack played a major role in negotiating the deal, Dave Russell influential in the design and drainage an extraordinary A GM approved the purchase for €25,000. Major fundraising under the steward ship of Pat Mullins, Donal Lyons and the club committee who organised fashion shows, socials, discos, parlour, derbies and donations proved they very successful. The 500-club draw proved very successful where Billy Dunleavy made a huge contribution. Works commenced in 1981, but unforeseen circumstances delayed a full start until 1982. A request made by Liam Cusack to the Department Of Education for grant aided Labour was granted. The pitch was formally opened in the Centenary of The Gaa on May 26th, 1984, by then County Board Chairman Derry Gowen with a challenge match between Cork reigning Munster champions and Dublin All Ireland champions as the main attraction. In 2018 a major refurbishment took place with the installation of Led floodlighting and new perimeter fencing was officially launched in November. The club Eircode is P67 CC03.

M.3.     Milford

The early decades of Milford GAA club saw movement through many rented pitches, most notably one at O Mahony's, Hardingville which was the venue for the famed Church Tournaments of the 1930's involving the top teams of Cork and Limerick. A month after their win in the 1936 All Ireland Senior Final, a Mick Mackey led Limerick team short just two of their All Ireland stars lined out in a Milford Church Tournament game at O'Mahony's field against a Cork side which featured Mick Fitzgibbon of Milford at full back.Former Taoiseach, Jack Lynch often referred to an Ahane V Glen Rovers game also played at this venue as among the greatest games he had ever played in.

Nevertheless, before the end of the 1940's the club were again in search of a suitable field to rent as a playing field. By happy chance members directed their interest towards our present home, then part of Milford Co-Op Creamery farm. In March of 1948 rent of the creamery field was agreed and though they weren't to then know it, members were literally pulling up sticks for the last time.

For the first two seasons as tenants in 1948 and 1949 the pitch ran at right angles to the present pitch but in early 1950 the alignment was changed and has remained thus since. The founding of the Avondhu Juvenile Board in 1952 and the fielding of juvenile teams saw much increased use of our pitch and this allied to its central location prompted club members to set about purchasing this property as a permanent home. By January 1956, Club President, Maurice Noonan was in the happy position to be able to tell the A.G.M. of Milford G.A.A. Club "we have now procured and paid for a playing pitch which will remain a monument long after our departing " and how right he was.

Much development work and improvements have been carried out over the intervening decades at the grounds which in 2001 were named Páirc Mhic Ghiobúin in honour of the late Mossie Fitzgibbon and his Trojan work to promote Gaelic games among the youth of our parish. This was a fitting tribute to Moss and all who worked with him and indeed to those who today follow in their footsteps by fostering among our youth a love of Gaelic games.

N.

N.1.     Newtownshandrum

S

S.1.      Shanballymore