I am delighted to be here today at the official opening of the new clubrooms for Austin Stacks GAA Club.
As you know, this club was founded in 1917 as the Rock Street GAA Club. It inherited its present name in the early 1930s in honour of Austin Stack, footballer, GAA administrator, politician and patriot, who died in 1929. Austin Stack was a great Tralee man who captained Kerry in the 1904 All Ireland and who cast the mould for other Tralee men who played for this great club and also the green and gold of Kerry.
This club leads the roll of honours in Kerry with 11 Senior Football County titles and 3 County Senior Hurling titles. It won 1 All Ireland club Football title in 1977. It also holds the record of club players winning 83 All Ireland Senior Football medals with Kerry. We all know the famous names that played for Austin Stacks and Kerry – Mikey Sheehy, Ger Power, Ger and John O’Keefe, and Pa Laide, and most recently with William Kirby and Kieran Donaghy. I commend all these players, not only those who played for Austin Stacks and wore the green and gold, but all players who tog out for the Austin Stacks purely for the enjoyment of the game.
I would also like to make specific reference to the Ladies section of the club, which has gone from strength to strength. The first ladies team lined out nearly 30 years ago, and I understand that presently there are several ladies teams at different levels in the club.
I understand also that Austin Stacks has a very strong under age structure. Indeed I believe that coaching starts at under-6 level with competitive competitions starting at under-12 level. This successful underage structure has been instrumental in the Austin Stacks under-14 team winning the Under-14 Kerry championship and representing Kerry in the Feile nOg All Ireland Finals for the past two years. I congratulate all the underage teams and the Juvenile Committee on their great success.
The club is the main sporting outlet in the area for young people, and that is why the work of your Development Committee is so essential. Getting young people away from a the sedentary lifestyle is no small achievement in itself, and that is why it is important to provide top class facilities where they can improve fitness levels and develop their sporting talents to the full.
As you know, a sports club has a wider social influence in that it imparts positive values to the young people of the club. A club like this provides its members with valuable opportunities to develop their social and leadership skills, even if their sporting success is never formally recorded. The club contributes in no small way to the education of its young members in a very enjoyable and safe environment. I think that everyone will agree that any young man or woman who participates in the life of the club to the best of their ability share a part of the credit for the sporting success of the club.
Sport not only leaves people with wonderful memories, but can also create lifelong friendships and it has a very special place in the life of all Irish people. This would not be the case were it not for the extraordinary commitment and total dedication of so many people, particularly those voluntary workers who have devoted themselves to sporting organisations. Every sporting organisation in Ireland relies heavily on the contribution of such volunteers. I commend all the mentors and committee of this club, who provided the environment for nurturing sporting talent among our young people. This should never be forgotten, and I would like to express my deepest admiration and gratitude for the vital contribution they continue to give to Irish life.
Austin Stacks club is an excellent example of the benefits of significantly increased spending by this Government on sport. To date, it has received over €355,000 in total under the Sports Capital Programme, which includes a further €80,000 which I have just announced in the latest round of the Sports Capital Programme.
Sport is thriving under this Government. We were the first to acknowledge the importance of sport by giving it a seat at the Cabinet table back in 1997. There has been an unprecedented increase in the level of Government support over the past seven years with almost €386m allocated to the provision of facilities countrywide. Under the Sports Capital Programme, Kerry has received just under €19m since 1998.
I understand that with the completion of the clubhouse, the club are going to concentrate on pitch development, which is another essential aspect of the future development of the club. When all the works are completed, I am sure that even more young people will be attracted to the club by virtue of the facilities, which will be available.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge again the work of the Austin Stacks club committee and officers. Without your unstinting efforts and willingness to give of your time and enthusiasm, this development would never have gotten off the ground. I know that your committee under the chair of Denis Long will pass the credit on to everyone involved.