Minister cuts tape at official opening of new clubhouse at Shay Murtagh Park
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Minister Robert Troy, Maria Ginnell Troy, Minister Peter Burke, Minister Charlie McConalogue, Ciarán Murtagh (club president) and Liam Rattigan (IRFU) cutting the ribbon on Saturday.Image 2 of 7
Terry Shortt and Jim Gillespie on Saturday afternoon.Image 3 of 7
Anne Fagan and James Murphy at Mullingar Rugby Club.Image 4 of 7
John Fagan and Leo Dowling from Mullingar Rugby Club.Image 5 of 7
Paul Isdell from Collinstown and John O’Reilly from Mullingar.Image 6 of 7
Declan, Mary, Tom and Brian Murphy.Image 7 of 7
Robert Murtagh and Anthony Carey from TEG.It was an auspicious day for Mullingar Rugby Club as the great and good made their way to Cullion for the official opening of the new clubhouse at Shay Murtagh Park last Saturday, April 18.
Ribbon cutting duties fell to Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, Charlie McConalogue, as parliamentary colleagues Robert Troy and Peter Burke were also on hand.
Mullingar RFC Club President, Ciarán Murtagh, said the day was a tremendous success: “We had a great turnout, support from all our club members, old and young. We had visitors with fond memories of the old clubhouse and those who have enjoyed the facilities of our new one.”
Shay Murtagh Park has undergone a transformation in recent years, making it one of the most attractive junior rugby club venues in the country. The development is a testament to the vibrancy of the club and the support it gets from across its membership.
Mullingar Rugby Clubs has enhanced their diversity and inclusion in dressing rooms by upgrading facilities to include dedicated, safe spaces for women and girls, moving away from the older set up.
Ciarán said the opening by Minister McConalogue reflects support for such initiatives.
“We received some money from the sports capital grant,” the Club president said, “Our dressing rooms are now a model of diversity and inclusivity. We also had Liam Rattigan from the IRFU, who have also supported us in undertaking these projects.”
The club, which passed its 100 year birthday in 2024, has had a busy 12 months. Last summer they hosted four charity rugby teams as they broke two world records, and the week before last they hosted an underage international fixture that saw Ireland play France.
“Since undertaken these developments, we have been getting a lot of use out of them,” Ciarán said, “We obviously got to host the U19s fixture because our facilities are up to a level expected by an international team. It's also great to see some of our older members of the club using it, maybe for bingo or for hosting a function.”
This year the Mullingar Darkness Into Light event will start and finish at Mullingar Rugby Club on Saturday May 9, with refreshments available afterwards: “We are delighted to be part of Darkness into Light this year. The project has been in planning for a while. They really do great work and we have got a lot of support from our members who have volunteered to help out.”
Ciarán says that the progress of the club is very much a community led drive: “While the government and IRFU funding is great it's a small part of what makes Mullingar RFC a extraordinary club.
“That's down to our members, and the local business sponsors who have been crucial in the delivery of this project in full.”