'We are all just devastated': Historic Cork hurling club badly damaged by Storm Babet
Cork County Council officials advised staff in the club to evacuate and — just 45 minutes later — a tide of water gushed in through the main gates. Picture: Garvan McCarthy
Flooding has completely destroyed the pitch of a historic hurling club just days after it secured victory in a premier senior hurling county final.
Sarsfields GAA Club, which was founded in 1896, suffered extensive damage after the Glashaboy River burst its banks, after Storm Babet saw almost a month's rain fall in 24 hours.
Water started coming into the Co Cork club grounds in Riverstown, in Glanmire at around 11am on Wednesday.
Cork County Council officials advised staff in the club to evacuate and — just 45 minutes later — a tide of water gushed in through the main gates.
“We had to open the gates to relieve the water pressure because the houses across the road from us were getting flooded,” said club chairman Keith Mulcahy. “We had no choice. We had to open the gates."
Club buildings including the gym, offices and cellar are tonight under around two feet of water, and the main pitch — which has sewerage and broken glass spread all around it - has been ruined, according to club officials.
Supporting walls around the pitch and grounds have also been washed away. Mr Mulcahy said: “In around 2016, or 2017 we were hit by a bad flood, but what has happened here is way worse.
“We are just devastated by this. The pitch has been absolutely ruined.
He said the club received no warning about the extent of the floods.
“That’s the concerning thing,” he said. "There was only an orange warning but there should have been a red warning. We didn’t see this at all this morning.
2 days ago , place was packed with supporters after their county final success - now how can this happen ?? pic.twitter.com/mBnoY1s202
— Tomas Mulcahy (@tomas_mulcahy) October 18, 2023
“Rain was heavy this morning and conditions were poor, but I just didn’t see this happening.
“In the space of a couple of hours the place has been destroyed.”
He said it was too soon to say whether or not the the club will be launching a fundraiser to raise funds for ground and club house repairs.
"We will investigate things over the next day or two. We are all just devastated and gutted by what has happened."
The club in a statement on Wednesday that the pitch committee and volunteers made the decision to allow their main pitch to flood in the hope that it would save the surrounding community from any further damage.
Mr Mulcahy said a priority for the club, who beat Midleton in last Sunday's Senior Co-Op Superstores Premier SHC final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, is to find a ground to train on.
The club's seniors have the Munster Club Championships against Waterford's Ballygunner in three weeks time.
Added to that, the club's senior Camogie ladies are in the county final on Sunday.
"The ladies were due to train at the club this week but they now need somewhere else to train," Mr Mulcahy said.
"Our sister football club Glanmire in fairness have their pitch under water, but it is not as bad. They have offered us their pitch as soon as it dries out a bit.
"So, we are going to be under pressure with our facilities ruined."
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