CLARE GAA are optimistic of raising over €1m through their Win A House in Lahinch fundraiser.
Not alone has the performances of the Clare senior hurlers lifted the entire county but it has also resulted in a boost of ticket sales for the novel fundraiser which will see one lucky individual become the owner of a new home on the School Rd in Lahinch next week.
May 31st is the closing date for tickets to be purchased with other prizes on offer including a wedding reception for 100 guests at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, a week long stay for up to 20 of your family and friends in the beautiful Bunglasha Lodge, a four-night stay-and-play for two people at the exclusive Trump Resort in Doonbeg and a family break for a long weekend in The Armada Hotel in Spanish Point.
Chairman of Clare GAA, Kieran Keating said an approximate 9000 tickets have been sold to date, “we are optimistic of getting over 10,000,” he said. “I’d be happy once we get over 10,000, anything less than that is disappointing, we have a great opportunity to make a big return from it, it will make €500,000 between the clubs and the County Board. It has been effective, we needed a few €100k to start work on the pitches in Caherlohan, that war chest has been filled now and we can start looking at grants. It has been a success”.
Clubs had the potential to make up to €10,000 “without having to spend money” by promoting the fundraiser on social media, “it was easy enough for clubs to benefit,” the Chairman maintained. Persons keen to see their club benefit while supporting the draw are urged to buy their ticket by the end of this week.
An idea for the fundraiser was spawned while Michael Gallagher was Treasurer of Clare GAA. “Dinny Cullinan and myself were looking at what we could do, we wanted to go big and bold,” Keating recalled.
It could well have been Win A House in Liscannor but the initial property didn’t end up in the hands of Clare GAA. “As Dinny said, a house in Lahinch will sell better because it’s all about location, location, location”.
Several bonus draws have been run in conjunction with the fundraiser including the chance to win tickets to Ed Sheeran and Garth Brooks but Keating revealed that the biggest bounce has stemmed from the county’s senior hurlers showing. The bonus draws would have brought in roughly forty to sixty ticket sales but Brian Lohan’s input has taken this to a new level. “The biggest sales in the last few weeks was off the back of the Clare hurlers in the last couple of rounds of Munster and the draw with Liemrick,
“We had one hundred sales in a day when Brian Lohan did a promotional video, our sales are running above 100 a day in last few days and they will rise in the next few days,” the Sixmilebridge based Chairman predicted. “People are seeing their opportunity is running out and if you’re not in you can’t win, our minors have gone well, our senior footballers have a big game next and our hurlers are leading the charge, it’s all positive, a good mood gets people to open their wallet”.
County teams and managements have rowed in behind the campaign, he said, “their interest is for it to be a success so that it will improve standards at Caherlohan”. The public have been “united in one cause to improve facilities”.
Caherlohan will see the bulk of the spending from the fundraiser. Works envisaged include the relaying of sand-based pitches, “they need relaying, not enough sand was put into them, the maintenance was not as good as it could have been on them, we need to get them right and keep them right”. The spend per pitch is estimated at €140-€150k working out in the region of €600,000, according to Keating.
“You could up to €1m getting what we have up to standard,” he remarked. Adding floodlights is another area worth considering, Keating noted. “The gym is too small there is no question, whether we extend the current building or build a new one has to be decided, that is something for next year with other sources of funding”.
He continued, “An all weather astro is required to really make it a Centre of Excellence, that’s a €2m build, very quickly you can run up to €5m or €6m, I’m not saying we will do that”. The Chairman said, “We want our players to feel proud of the facility that Clare GAA has”.
Tuesday night’s draw will be streamed live on Clare GAA TV and Win A House In Lahinch’s official website with Marty Morrissey acting as MC. Lahinch’s newest resident should have their keys next week and be in their house by July.
