A SMALL community in Co Monaghan is reeling after a sinkhole opened up at the local GAA pitch and destroyed most of the facilities.
The chairman of Magheracloone GAA Club in Co Monaghan has spoken about how the club and the wider community has been left shocked by yesterday’s incident.
Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland, Francis Jones said: “The pitch is unusable. They’re not allowing anyone on the site at the moment. We have top wait and see the report to see what caused it – I don’t want to say yet what caused it until we get full extent of report.
“The biggest thing is the shock of it and the devastation to the football club and the community centre. It’s all out of bounds for us now. Thankfully local clubs have contacted us and allowed us use their facilities so they have.”
He also suggested that the facilities will take up to two years to restore.
Gardaí confirmed that officers were at the scene yesterday and that nobody was present at the time of the sinkhole opening.
A nearby school had been evacuated as a precaution.
Local News landsinking in Magheracloone gaa groups some pictures coming in to us here at BRTV we under stand nobody was on the grounds at the time more to follow pic.twitter.com/H1CN11TDIQ
— Border Region TV (@BorderRegionTV) September 24, 2018
The Health and Safety Authority said: “We are aware that an old section of the Gypsum mine in the area (no longer in use) has collapsed. We are not aware of injuries as a result and we will follow up with the company as appropriate.”
The club have set up a GoFundMe page to try and raise money “to ensure our club survives this disaster”.
The caption reads: “We all know that any football club is the backbone of the community and the foundation for many friendships. Funds will be required to source and setup temporary facilities. Please give a little or a lot. It takes a community to raise children. X”
