Summerhill GFC GYM
Earlier this year the club saw the completion of the long-awaited gym facility. This gym is a state-of-the-art facility and a great addition to the club. The clubs prime objective is always to provide the best possible facilities for the young people of our community to allow them to participate in our sport and avail of all the physical and mental health benefits that this participation brings.
Planning for this gym goes back to 2015 when we received funding of €65000 from the Sports Capital Grant. This, together with a generous contribution from the late Phyllis Gogarty R.I.P has enabled us to complete the much needed upgrade of our public toilets and to provide a purpose-built gym for our club players and members. We also received some donations for club members towards the project.
The original plans were to incorporate the gym facility within our existing clubhouse by extending upwards. However, following an engineering inspection of the foundations this plan was deemed not to be feasible. At this point it was decided to build a standalone unit at the side of the existing clubhouse. After examining all the alternatives, it was decided to go with a high quality, insulated steel building manufactured by Shannette in Kilbeggan in Westmeath.
The Shannette building is a pre-fabricated unit that is dropped onto a concrete base. The work on this base was done by a team of volunteer club members. One thing we are not short of in this club is electricians and again all the electrical work was carried free of charge by club members. Once the building was complete the interior was sheeted and painted. The interior was completed with a large raised 3D crest and logo at each end of the gym supplied by Gary Rispin of GR-Signs.
Following a tendering process local builder John Moran of Sean Og Construction got the job of upgrading the public toilet area of the clubhouse. Sean Og Construction did a fantastic job on the clubhouse renovations. John and his crew deserve great credit for turning what was a dark unused space into a new kitchen, a ladies toilet, a gents toilet and a disabled toiled. The job was finished to the highest standard and is a great addition to our facilities.
In the lead up to Christmas 2018 the equipment for the gym was acquired and installed leaving the gym ready for use at the start of 2019. It was fitting that the first group to use the gym was our minor team under the guidance of one of our senior players Kevin Ryan. The facility has proved extremely popular with all of our players. We have also allowed our non playing members to use the gym at a very reasonable rate.
The club owes a great debt of gratitude to many people who without their efforts the project would not have happened. A huge amount of the work was done on a voluntary basic by club members saving the club a considerable amount of money. As a club we are lucky to have the support of so many in the community who are always willing to give up their time for the benefit of the club. Thanks also to Ger Staunton who got the project through the planning process and to Geoff King who signed off on foundations and floor.
Click on the images below to see some photos of the project.
