Dublin star Brian Fenton cut the tapes on the £360,000 development at St Paul's in Belfast over the weekend and the first major action on the relaid pitch will be in the 36th FonaCab Ulster Club Football Tournament that begins early next month.
Players and fans, alike, will certainly welcome what they will experienced as the ground has been given a major facelift with a new pitch laid, a cement stepped terracing, covered substitutes' dugouts and a mini 3G junior pitch in the corner for the juveniles of the club to hone their skills.
Fenton gave the youngsters an hour's clinic.
Ulster GAA President Michael Hasson and the new Executive of the Ulster Sports Council George Lucas, addressing the crowd, praised the work that the club plays in the community from youth to senior level, in both male and female GAA activity.
Cookstown joint-manager Jason Quinn doesn’t underestimate the challenge of Four Masters in the Ulster semi-final
“It was tough on my mum and dad. I knew I was self-destructing. And I also knew the next phase of that, if I had carried on, it was not being here. I was in a very dark place...” - the life and times of Caolan Mooney
First in the minor tournament to sample the new facilities with be defending Ulster champions Burren and St Eunan's who have been drawn together, in the preliminary round, by Sean Walsh (FonaCab) and Brian Fenton..
“We don't know much about St Eunan's minor team but we did play them in the U14 Feili competition a few years ago and beat them by a point. I suppose that both teams would be much on the lines of those in the Feili,” said Burren captain Ardán McEvoy, who plays in defence, preferably in the full-back line.
“Anyhow, it doesn't really matter who you meet because to progress you have got to beat the best.
“We have lost a number of players from last year's team as they are overage and have moved on to U21 and senior football. However, I'm sure we will be competitive.
“We haven't any main players in the team. We work very well together as we have a good system and a strong backroom team of our manager 'Shorty' Treanor along with Anthony Cunningham, Collie Loughlin, Conor Magill, Michael Magill plus our physios, so it is a strong backroom.
“Last year, was the first time that Burren got past the first round in the competition. I don't know much about any of the other teams in the draw this year but I am looking forward to the tournament, again,” enthused the Abbey CBS seventh year student.
The Ulster title race is due to begin on the first weekend in December. The actual dates of the games will be made known later this week. Along with Burren, Enniskillen Gaels and Errigal Ciarán are former winners.
The Draw is: Preliminary Rd: Burren (Down) v St Eunan's Letterkenny (Donegal).
Quarter-finals: Killaney (Monaghan) v O'Donovan Rossa (Antrim); Errigal Ciarán (Tyrone) v Ballinascreen (Derry); Cavan champions v Enniskillen Gaels (Fermanagh; Clan Eireann (Armagh) v Burren or St Eunan's.
Three matches will be played at Woodlands, Finaghy Road.
