It is being billed thus: “Hector travels to Cordal GAA Club Co. Kerry, to see how they have turned their fortunes around in recent years.”
Excuse me, Mr. Hector but they did it in Cordal in under a year – but they won’t boast about it.
In spite of the seemingly insurmountable problems they faced into this time last year – or maybe because of them – Cordal GAA Club is emerging from one of its most remarkable years ever. It is probably fair and very safe to say that they won’t see the likes of it again – for both lows and highs. The good thing is that the lows came long before the highs.
That’s why they’re walking out of a year-long campaign with their heads held high and in a very good place.
The club members have been more obsessed with the growth of grass these past few months than any neighbouring farmer ever was. The green, green grass of the home club grounds is growing thick and lush and will be ready on time for the 2015 playing season.
If Hector can cram a fraction of last year’s frantic activity from the club into his programme on Monday night – it will be a near miracle.
On the Friday evening he arrived at the club last October 25th there was a great air of excitement in the Cordal area as the children had just broken out for their Halloween holidays and Hector was arriving in his VW Camper Van.
He had made contact with Cordal GAA PRO, Nora Fealey on the Thursday night to let her know that he was broadcasting his morning radio programme from Cork on that Friday morning and would love to meet some of the members of the Cordal GAA Club on the Friday afternoon on his way home to Galway.
They had spoken previously on his breakfast show after Cordal GAA Club was crowned winner of the SuperValu Community Fund Final in Croke Park on September 4th 2013. In her interview Nora spoke of the passion of this small, rural club and the appalling conditions of the local pitch which brought it to national prominence. She also spoke of the hard work and dedication of the officers, members and the community to try to restore the pitch to a respectable playing condition.
“As filming got under way no one could have prepared the presenter and his crew for the hearty, warm welcome they received from the large numbers of the community who had turned up to surprise him and to show their continuous support for this small but popular club. and it is fair to say Hector was pleasantly surprised,” said Nora.
You can see the result of his visit on Monday night on RTE 1 at 9.35pm
