Originally uploaded on 15/08/2015 by “Admin”
As the Bull McCabe said ‘this is my field. Its my child. I nursed it. I nourished it. I saw to its every want. My only want is green grass, that lovely green grass and you want to take it away from me. In the sight of God I can’t let you do that’.
The field at Sanatorium Road has been our home since 1984. All we ever wanted to do there was play football. Every Tuesday and Thursday for six months of the year for the last 31 years, hundreds and hundreds of Irish men and women did just that. We played football there, trained there, fought and made up there, spilt blood and broke bones there.
The field has seen some incredible highs and heartbreaking lows. Convincing wins and tough losses. Every single person will have their own memories and thoughts of playing there, though one common thread will tie all those stories together. Friendship.
It is our spiritual home. We built our club around that field. That club grew into a community. Within that community friendships grew, strong bonds uniting strangers from every corner of Ireland in one common goal, to play football. It has been the foundation of everything that St. Colmcilles stands for today.
Laps, press ups, yoga stretches, and long summer evenings. Rabbits, gypsies, dogs and slow worms. Handbags, tactics, team work and hard work. A warm up on Tuesday wasn’t complete without recounting weekend tales and shenanigans while chat during Thursday’s cool down invariably turned to the coming weekends refreshments. We have seen it all and done it all on that field. It has made our stay in Cardiff all the more enjoyable. For many it has helped turn Cardiff into our home.
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The team members at St Colmcilles last training session in Sanatorium Road
The time has come to move on. But not with heavy hearts. The ghosts of former players, our tradition, our past, our future, our spirit, all that can move with us. As much as we all have loved that field it would be nothing but a patch of grass without you, the gaels of St. Colmcilles GAA Cardiff.
Unlike the Bull McCabe, we can let it go. We will move on. They do say the grass is greener, so let’s go find out. We have all moved across the Irish Sea, so a short hop across the city should be no bother at all.
2016 sees St. Colmcilles GAA celebrate its 60th Anniversary. What better way to start the next chapter of our clubs’ history, than moving to a new city centre location.
We thank Cardiff City Council for their continued support through the years. There are far too many club men and women to thank, suffice to say all your efforts will not be forgotten.
St. Colmcilles Abu
