Community at heart of Core Club
A new chapter in health, fitness and wellbeing was celebrated at Mullingar Rugby Club on Saturday morning as The Core Club officially opened its doors, bringing together training, rehabilitation and recovery services under one roof.
Located at Shay Murtagh Park, the new facility was officially launched by Minister Peter Burke. The Core Club is the latest venture from Darragh Cunningham and Damon Rohan, whose businesses have steadily grown alongside Mullingar Rugby Club over the past two years.
The club combines a modern gym, strength and conditioning services, physiotherapy, rehabilitation and a recovery sauna, creating what the founders describe as a complete fitness and wellness experience.
Speaking at the launch, Darragh Cunningham explained that The Core Club represents the natural evolution of two businesses: Dynamic Performance and Furnis Sauna Village, both developing side by side while serving the same community. “We realised it was the same group of people using both businesses,” Darragh told the Examiner. “It made much more sense to bring everything together under one brand.”
Originally from Clonmellon, Darragh met business partner Damon Rohan, who is from Athlone, while they were working together. The idea for the venture emerged through Darragh’s involvement as a player with Mullingar Rugby Club.”I could see the gym wasn’t being used much in the mornings and thought it would be a great space for our classes,” he recalled. “I approached the club with the idea and they were brilliant from the beginning.”
The business started modestly in November 2024, offering fitness classes three mornings a week. As demand increased, so too did the services: “We kept going back to the rugby club asking if we could add another hour here and there,” Darragh said. “Bit by bit it grew.”
Drawing on his background in Sports Science and Health and his studies for a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy, Darragh expanded the business to include a clinic room and dedicated rehabilitation facilities. He and Damon, who specialises in strength and conditioning and personal training, later introduced the sauna and recovery area that became Furnis Sauna Village.
Today, those services have been united as The Core Club, and approximately 100 regular members make use of the facilities.
For Darragh, however, success is measured by more than membership numbers: “The experience is really important to us. Whether someone comes for a class or a sauna session, we want them to enjoy that hour. Everything is built around creating a positive experience.”
Equally important is fostering a sense of community: “We’d love to see that community continue to grow. The support from our members has been incredible, many of them there from the very start,” he said
Darragh paid tribute to Mullingar Rugby Club for backing the project from its earliest days, thanked his own family and the Rohan family for helping with the expansion, particularly during the construction of the sauna facilities.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the club’s staff – Kayla Carey Weir, Cillian Plunkett, Ollie Murphy and Conor Lynn, whose work has helped the business grow.