New floodlights for Bonagee United unveiled

Bonagee United celebrated its latest landmark on Friday night as the new floodlights at Dry Arch Park were officially launched.

The tape was cut and a new era was launched by Katie McFadden, widow of the late Paddy McFadden, one of the club’s founder members in 1970.

There are windows to the past all around Dry Arch Park and it was fitting that Katie McFadden performed the official duties.

The ‘continuity’ and ‘deep traditions’ of Bonagee United are apparent and were touched on by Joe McHugh, the Minister of State for the Diaspora and Overseas Development Aid, who actually played for Bonagee 20 years ago in the Donegal League.

“There is a great understanding here that they are working towards the next generation.

“You are providing a very important vehicle for the next generation and a very important vehicle of this generation,” Minister McHugh said.

“There is a deep tradition in this club and I want to acknowledge the continuity and hard graft in Bonagee United.”

The floodlights are just a part of the latest phase of the development of a ground and a facility that can now stand alongside any junior or intermediate club in the country.

Six stanchions, each standing at 18-metres tall, holding five lights each with 500 lux – over League of Ireland standard – have been installed and now illuminate the sky around the Dry Arch.

In addition to the new floodlights, the club resurfaced one of astroturf pitches and also developed a new wheelchair viewing area and a presentation/press area in the stand.

“From small beginnings, we have a community hall and some of the finest facilities in the country,” said Bonagee United Chairman Donal Coyle.

Bonagee United now has over 400 registered players, including 180 at schoolboy level, with teams also competing in all of the Donegal Women’s Leagues.

Representatives from the local leagues and neighbouring clubs were in attendance on Friday night as were a large contingent of former players and local politicians, including Deputy Charlie McConnalogue and Councillor James Pat McDaid, the Chairman of the Letterkenny Municipal District.

Frank Larkin, from Independent Living was present as the club unveiled its new wheelchair viewing area.

Ernie Pollock, the Chairman of the Ulster FA, said: “The facilities here stand with any in Ireland and it’s a great credit to the club and its committee.

“The facilities here gets great use and hopefully the club goes from strength-to-strength and has great success on the field.”

Councillor James Pat McDaid said: “It’s a credit to the whole club the way it has grown over the last number of years. This doesn’t happen accidentily. It’s the people on the committee who do all the hard work and administration work.

“It’s very important for any club to work with the underage. That’s where the seeds are sewn. That is the future. The facilities at Bonagee United show that the club has big days ahead of them.”

Deputy McConalogue added: ”It’s not just at committee level, but right down through the teams week-in, week-out. That is particularly heartening to see and it is of tremendous value. It takes huge volunteer time to make that happen.”

It was certainly a night for the club and community to savour and, as the Club Chairman noted, immersing themselves in the community has been one of the club’s big success stories.

Mr Coyle said: “It is a community club. Without the community here, we couldn’t achieve what we have achieved. The facility we have here is for the whole community.

“We have 13 on the committee here. You couldn’t go anywhere to find a more dedicated, hard-working group of people. There is no second agenda with them. The only agenda here is Bonagee United Football Club and it is great to be Chairman of a club like that.”

 

All photography by Evan Logan

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