SINCE it was founded in 2019, Letterkenny Cricket Club has made enormous strides and they go into the new season with high hopes that their first team could get promoted.
The rapidly expanding club now fields three adult teams at the weekends, a midweek team, and it also has two underage teams, at under-8 and under-11.
And in the longer term, it will be no surprise to see a women’s team as well.
Up to 150 people are now playing for the club, and there are also many volunteers involved.
But one major problem exists – they have no home ground.
Indeed, the first team plays its ‘home’ games at the Rev. Heaslett Memorial Grounds in Limavady – and that means a round trip of about 85 miles.
“Not having a home ground is frustrating,” admits Rammohan (Ramm) Goud Sama, a founding member of the club, who explains that they have been looking for possible grounds in the Letterkenny area, but so far without success.
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.
In the meantime, a huge effort must take place to keep the club going. On the one hand, there is a lot of positivity, with a growing interest in the game.
Many of those involved in the club have come to live and work in Letterkenny (notably at Letterkenny University Hospital and in IT firms like Optum).
The club has thrived, with indoor cricket and underage and social activities all contributing.
But without a ground, they are being stifled, and it is making it harder to keep everyone on board.
As Ramm points out, on a Saturday, for a ‘home’ league game in Limavady, volunteers are up at eight o’clock to make sandwiches and refreshments to have them ready to leave at 9.30am in order to be at the ground in Limavady at 11am.
The match can go on until 6pm and by the time they finish up, and get everything cleared, it can be after 8pm when you get back home.
Strabane
The second and third teams – and the midweek team – use the all-weather pitch at Strabane Academy.
But, as the school closes at the end of June, it means they must get all their home games played before then, and for the rest of the season they are away. Fortunately, the NWCU has been obliging in terms of the fixture list.
The club also has U8 and U11 teams in competition, but again they must use Strabane Academy.
While there are grants available, the lack of a home ground is certainly inhibiting the club’s progress.
And they are not alone in this regard. A new team, called North West Cricket Club – which draws players from both sides of the border – is also without a ground. A long term option for them may well be the redeveloped Templemore Sports Complex in Derry.
“There are lots of people who want to play cricket, but have nowhere to play,” notes Kathryn Rough, Interim General Manager of the NWCU.
Cricket is going through a period of expansion and the NWCU now has 55 men’s teams, 13 women’s teams, 50 youths (boys) teams, and 18 youths (girls) teams.
“We have seen a big increase in the numbers playing in recent years, especially women and girls,” she says.
Back in 2022, Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Council afforded Letterkenny Cricket Club a civic reception in recognition of them winning their first piece of silverware, the Qualifying 2 T20 Cup in 2021.
The local authority is well aware of the need for a ground, and the issue has been highlighted a number of times, most recently by Cllr. Michael McBride at the last meeting of the local authority.
First match
Letterkenny’s first team will begin their League 1 campaign this Saturday when they host The Nedd in Limavady.
Last year they went close to winning it. This year, they hope to go one better.
Indeed, we may well see Letterkenny and St. Johnston both playing at Premier level in the years to come.
Not since the demise of Raphoe Cricket Club more than four decades ago has there been the prospect of a Donegal derby in cricket. Exciting times lie ahead.
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