Fr Dalton Park, the home of Ballymore GAA and its affiliated hurling club, Fr Dalton's, faced significant disruptions as it was unable to host local championship games last weekend. Vandals caused substantial damage to the main building, rendering the toilet facilities unusable for the foreseeable future.
The extent of the destruction was severe, with the toilets and internal and external walls completely destroyed, and even the main fuse board suffered damage. The incident has been promptly reported to Athlone Gardaí, and investigations are currently underway.
In response to the incident, Ballymore GAA shared their thoughts through a social media post, stating that they are unable to ascertain the full extent of the damage or the cost of repairs until a thorough assessment is conducted.
“At this stage we are unable to determine the full extent of the damage or repair bill until it is fully assessed,” Ballymore GAA said in a social media post.
Unfortunately our club facilities have been subjected to an act of criminal damage over the weekend. This occurred late Sat night/early Sun morning.
Substantial damage was caused to the main building. This renders our toilet facilities unusable for the foreseeable future. pic.twitter.com/KJZOsxr73a— Ballymore GAA Club (@BallymoreGAAC) July 24, 2023
The club emphasised that they, like many others, are driven by the hard work and dedication of volunteers who tirelessly strive to develop and improve facilities for their members and the club community.
“Ballymore GAA and Fr Daltons Hurling Club, like so many others, is made up of volunteers that work tirelessly to develop and improve facilities for our members and the club community.
“It is so disheartening to see this damage caused which will now take up valuable time and money to put right. Because of this, important championship games had to be moved out of our facility at a late stage.
However, the club remains steadfast and determined not to let the actions of a few individuals spoil opportunities for the larger community.
“We are determined not to let the acts of a few ruin the opportunities for many. We will continue, with your support, to develop the club and facilities despite these setbacks," they added.
