Castlelyons GAA lodge planning permission for construction of a second pitch.

Despite these tough times Castlelyons GAA are moving along the development project well. We have applied for planning permission to construct a fully drained pitch with specified goalposts and ball retention nets at either side of the pitch.  The planning also includes an application for a new one way exit only system for traffic coming into the proposed new development. A technical committee from the Club reviewed the newly acquired land the site and carried out a site survey. A layout group undertook some site visits to recent GAA development projects and discussed them with the steering group. A grants committee have researched available grants and are presently preparing for submission of relevant forms.  Thanks to all who are assisting and to others who have put there name forward to help too.

The laying out of a new pitch is still just part of a proposed overall development and while we are going well, we will now map out how we are going to get there. So, the setting out of masterplan that can show flexibility for the delivery of partial developments will really provide a vision of the future. The inclusion of a financial fundraising model comprising of a grants and club to deliver the facilities over time will be contained in the Masterplan.

Castlelyons looking forward to setting out a proper Gym.

Well, Castlelyons are going to set down a Gym in the complex for shortly and the following information may help members and the public understand the value of such a facility. All sports writers agree that honing and toning the body in the Gyms is a vital part of the fitness and wellbeing of our players plus all members both male and female.   A handy sized Gym can take up 14 - 16 people at a time and is available from sunrise to long after sunset. This type of training facility is very convenient for parents as they are not in a pressurised game and is available to them throughout the day when children are attending school, etc. In fact, the Gym is often recommended to patients and, of course, sports people by the medical profession for recuperation. It is the ideal facility with weights and gadgets to tone the body at one’s own pace and the wall mirrors facilitate watching one’s own movements and style. The risk of injury from this type of low impact training or class involvement is extremely low.

There are other dynamics fuelling why people are generally training this way and prompting Clubs to invest a popularity Gym.

Health and Fitness Awareness.

There is a growing health and fitness awareness.  Companies want to trim insurance costs and people want to trim the body to remain healthy.  Employers want healthy employees and at times even give an allowance towards gym membership provided it is used. It is necessary too. In fact, exercise increases the cardiovascular fitness and boosts overall health. Also, regular workouts help in reducing stress, anxiety and depression and other diseases affecting health.

For many members, the rising cases of osteoporosis and lowering of bone density are also prompting people to take health, diet, and fitness seriously. Earlier, only the men showed interest in the gyms, but today the ladies are crowding into the gyms. Thanks to the internet, TV and growing education levels, there is a complete paradigm shift in perspective of everyone, and particularly women, who now consider exercising a serious affair.

There is a huge interest in a healthy lifestyle in recent years.  Even the consumer demand is for healthy natural and organic food.  This in turn and has caused a focused fitness drive and popularity for using a gym even to assist with the walking and running as an exercise.

Age is No Bar for Fitness

Through multiple sources like doctors, researchers etc., we are constantly reminded about the benefits of exercising, which is right too. People of every age group, from the 20s through the 60s and beyond, need to work hard to remain fit. Also, it needs to be kept in mind that the human body has different requirements at different ages and aging is an indispensable part of life. Realizing this and coming to terms with the fact that those who exercise regularly are happier and healthier compared to those who do not.

In fact, the Gym is often recommended by the medical profession to patients and, of course, sports people by the medical profession for recuperation. Finally, injures are rarely an issue for this type of low impact training or class involvement.  People find that Gyms are suitable to both individual training, recuperation and for the sports person training to a programme with the requirement is growing annually.

Digital Awareness of training activity and healthy eating.

New devices like the Fitbit, Apple Watch, and smartphones are being used and people have personal biometric health statistics literally at their fingertips. They can see how many steps they walk or run in a day, how many calories they burn, what their heart rate is, or what their blood pressure is, are making them much more in tune with how their body works and how they can improve their health.

This growing awareness of healthy eating together with digital feedback causes people to start making more healthy decisions in other aspects of their life. They will want to improve even more by training and treating the body well.  Thus, another reason why they are all heading for the gym.

Strength and Conditioning for our teams.

The importance of strength and conditioning for our players male and female cannot be underestimated. The evidence is clear that if individuals / team have specialised strength and conditioning the ability to perform to the best of their ability is greater and the risk of injury lesser.  In fact, in demanding games like hurling and football injury while injury is prevalent it is preventable if the player puts in the proper strength and conditioning work.

The days of Mick Dwyer’s twenty rounds of a pitch or Ger Loughnane’s running up Shannon Hill although very successful at the time has faded in hearts and minds. We are now playing catch up with the Dublin footballers and Limerick hurlers.  Locally Cork media have placed major emphasis on the work of the same strength and condition expert who was with both Blarney and Blackrock as they took the SHC and PIHC this year even though there was no cognisance of our own injuries in the final.  This writer strongly believes those unfortunate injuries in the final led to our defeat.  Generally, a look at the physique of county and some club players reminds us of the importance of Gym work for our own teams that is if we are to be serious. A Gym programme is a vital cog in any strength and conditioning programme for our players male and female and hopefully we will have this facility shortly.

Gym can be a boutique style fitness studio.

A Gym can be moulded into a boutique fitness studio system and again this could be set down and specialised in a small area.  The boutique comprises of spinning, high-intensity interval training classes, circuit training, weights and Pilates.  This investment is reasonable but the income strong and, of course, and you can fit a group in a small area which will yield fitness, friendship and comraderies as people enjoy a strong social engagement which they develop their fitness in a friendly manner. 

A Gym makes good business model sense. 

A reasonable kitted Gym will be invaluable to our players both male and female for strength and conditioning.  It can be used by all including the injured and non-playing members for recuperation and on advice of medical profession. As said already can be available from sunrise to long after sunset to a huge number and span of the local population.  A reasonable marketing system and dynamic pricing for membership will assist as a revenue generator for the Club.  The Club have already paid out over €5,000 rental fee away from our Complex to have a temporary Gym for our players.  So hopefully, it will be possible in forthcoming changes and development to have such an invaluable facility for all in our Complex.

Rebels’ Bounty Draw Tickets are great value and still available from the Committee.

The Club are still selling tickets for the Rebels' Bounty Draw 2021 and they are available from our Committee. There are 30 cash prizes each month with the first prize €20,000. On two of the months the first prize is €25,000 and the December prize is €100,000. As all are funded by Cork GAA and there no risk to our Club. The draw is great value and tickets are selling very well. They are available from Club members and cost just €100. We can also put two names on the ticket so if you feel like joining with your friend it is just €50 apiece.

We are extremely grateful to those who have supported us to date as we have some repairs to carry out to the pitch for the coming season, it costs money to run the Club annually and we are embarking on a development programme. The draws for January, February and March will be held on the 25^{th of} March and monthly thereafter.  If you have not joined to date it is a top-class draw with excellent prizes and great value at €100 while you will be assisting our Club and we would really appreciate you support.

Castlelyons GAA Weekly Lotto – Jackpot now €10,200. 

This draw was held Monday 22.2.21 and the numbers drawn were 5, 6, 15 and 21. There was no winner, and the Jackpot is still a whopping €10,200. The Lucky Dip winners were as follows: - Ciara Gannon, Fiona O Callaghan, Joanne Lee, Mark Custer, Michael Condon, John Molloy, Nora McCarthy and Eily Pyne.  The next draw is Monday 1.3.21. Thanks so much for your support and please advise your friends that they can play our Lotto, ONLINE or purchase tickets from the usual outlets.

Reason to believe the Covid tide is turning.

We are now one year into the Covid-19 pandemic and it was a tough time on all.  The positivity rate is dropping once more and thankfully the numbers in hospital are generally going down. Our sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones due to this pandemic and again this rate is falling. The signs are good, and internationally we the see the success of Israel and the UK where vaccines are clearly protecting people from disease and severe illness. So, we can be confident that the sooner vaccinations are put out here and internationally the greater the curtailment of the pandemic.

No doubt the evening after writing piece the Government will have updated the ‘Living with Covid Plan’ thus mapping out how our country will ease restrictions in the coming months. The Government are playing a fairly tough game due to variants and behaviourisms.  Jonas Salk discovered the polio vaccine and he said that the reward for work well done was the opportunity to do more.  The same is true now for us now, we must all keep a complete team effort going to drive case the numbers down. Every contact we make socially, every time we take a risk, can potentially add to those numbers.  But when we make a smart choice, we can help reduce numbers and it is within our gift to do so. Remember we have a lot of great work done so keep it up there are better days on the way. Keep safe.

Congratulations to Sinead Barry and Eoin McLoughlin.

Many congratulations, health, happiness and plenty of sleep to Sinead and Eoin on birth of their baby Barry from all in Castlelyons GAA.

Club Main Sponsor: ZEUS Packaging Group