Kerry Football Club, along with guests from the wider football and political communities, officially opened the new state-of-the-art facilities in Mounthawk Park on Friday night. The cherry on top of the cake was in the Kingdom’s victory over Wexford on a dramatic night on the new turf in Mounthawk Park.
Having received funding through government grant support, Kerry FC and the Kerry District League were able to lay a brand new Astro Turf pitch in the famous football venue on the northside of Tralee. On top of that development, brand new LED floodlights were also installed at the venue along with an on-site gym, which is used by all 7 Kerry FC sides competing in the League of Ireland structures.
In attendance at Mounthawk Park for the official ribbon cutting were some esteemed guests, including FAI President Paul Cooke, Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan, FAI Director Caroline Rhatigan, League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon, Munster FA Chairman Leslie Doyle, Michael Healy Rae TD, along with plenty of familiar faces from Kerry FC and the Kerry District League.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan said, “Great congratulations have to go to everyone involved in Kerry FC for bringing together a magnificent facility. It’s easy to say the Government has given the lion’s share of the money, almost €400,000, but at the end of the day, you need the volunteers on the ground, the committee, the land and the match funds to actually get the thing over the line. It proves the value of the grant scheme and the value of volunteerism in League of Ireland clubs. They are prepared to put their shoulders to the wheel to organise the application and the matched funding that’s needed as well. Kerry now has a fine League of Ireland facility here that any club anywhere in the country could be very proud of.”
FAI President Paul Cooke admitted it was his first time visiting Mounthawk Park. “It’s a great facility here in Kerry, and it’s great to see investment in facilities like this. It’s particularly great to see investment in a place that is used by the community, across all genders and abilities. It’s very important to have a spread of clubs and facilities around the country. Having elite clubs spread across all counties in the country is what we want, and that’s being helped with Tier 3 coming in as well.
League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon is no stranger to Mounthawk Park since the Kingdom entered the league in 2023. “It’s fabulous to be here today. The work that has gone on in Kerry since the club came into the league in 2023 is incredible.” Mark added, “When we came here first, there was no railing around the pitch, and the seats needed to be redone in the stand. So to see the new pitch and floodlights here today, as well as the gym that has gone in as well, it’s an incredible amount of work gone in by the people in the background here in Kerry. It’s a facility everyone in Kerry and in the League of Ireland can be proud of.”
On the field, the Kingdom continue their campaign in the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division, which is about to reach the halfway mark. Kerry have won their last two home games in Mounthawk Park to close the gap on the play-off places. Meanwhile, 6 teams continue their LOI Academy matches every weekend, with ages ranging from our Men’s Under 14 side right up to our Women’s Under 23 side competing for the first time in the Women’s Development League.
