LETTERKENNY Cricket Club has thanked Minister of State for Sport Charlie McConalogue for a meeting described as “friendly and productive”.
Former Indian Test star Bobby Rao and club representative Ram Mohan met with Minister McConalogue on Friday following a request to discuss Letterkenny’s ongoing efforts to secure a permanent home in Donegal.
Since being set up in 2019 Letterkenny Cricket Club (LCC) has grown hugely in popularity and has just launched into the new season with high hopes that their senior team could be promoted.
The rapidly expanding club now fields three adult teams at the weekends as well as a midweek team. It also has two underage teams, at under-11 and under-13.
The likelihood of a women’s team is also growing with more and more young females coming forward to pick up a bat.
Letterkenny Cricket Club now has in the region of 150 people among its ranks with many more individuals involved in a voluntary capacity – numbers many Irish clubs would be proud to be able to boast of.
But one major problem persists – LCC does not have a ground to call its own. As things stand the first team plays its ‘home’ games at Drummond near Limavady – a round trip of about 85 miles.
Out of frustration, club members last year launched a petition which attracted hundreds of signatures and which was handed over to Donegal County Council in July.
Now they have taken their case to the man they hope may be able resolve their ongoing headache.
“It was a very good meeting, Minister McConalogue was aware of the situation and was very sympathetic to it,” said Bobby Rao.
“He listened to what we had to say, he took on board our concerns and he appeared very genuine in his desire to assist us.
“We were very grateful to him for his time and we look forward to seeing what the next step will be.”
There are plans to include a cricket pitch in the proposed new ATU Letterkenny sports complex in the Carnamuggagh area of the town, but it is likely to be several years yet before that comes to fruition.
Bobby Rao said that in the meantime, an enormous community effort will be put into keeping the club going and flourishing.
“There is a lot of positivity there and it’s great to see a growing interest in cricket in a town that traditionally would lean more towards GAA or soccer.
“But the issue of a ground needs to be addressed because the longer this goes on, the more jaded members will become with the amount of travel and the expense that goes with that.
“Hopefully Minister McConalogue can come up with a solution for us and judging by the discussion we had, I do feel he is committed to doing so.”
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