We had been steadily building up a little bit of hype about our new coffee dock ÚR @ Colemanstown United for the last few weeks & months but we finally got off the ground yesterday with a nice unofficial opening. We offer a great range of coffee favourites including cappuccino, latte, flat whites, americano and chai latte. And yes, of course hot chocolate with marsh mallows for the big & small kids. Our coffee beans come all the way from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia & India, are blended and hand-roasted locally to bring excellent coffee that’s sure to fuel our community spirit! We plan to open on weekends but if you’re stopping by for your coffee fix, please be patient as our coffee dock is volunteer-led & our baristas are in training. The more volunteers that we have available, the longer we can extend the opening hours so please get in touch if you are interested in helping out. Thanks to the many people who helped us along the way. The preparation for our opening yesterday has been inspiring overall and we are extremely grateful to all those volunteers who helped to make this happen. Thank you so much!
There have been so many selfless individuals who have dedicated their time and skills to support us in every way they could. Many thanks to Galway County Council for their welcome funding towards the purchase of our barista coffee machine. Thanks to Garry O’Grady & Western Post Forms for the kitchen units…. they are just perfect. Then on a bank holiday weekend in October, Stevie Kelly, Cormacoo gave up alot of his weekend aided by Kenny Duane to fit the units in place. A massive shoutout to Adrian Burke of Porter Cooling Services, who handled all our plumbing wizardry, and to Niall Rohan, our electrifying sparky, who powered us up in style—literally and figuratively! Also not forgetting our contract cleaners: Debi Coffey, Cora Clancy & Martina Donnellan who had the place shining. Thanks to all who gave of their most precious commodity … their time!
Barista training took place last week so we were ready to brew some coffee yesterday morning. Thanks to Deirdre O’Grady, Marie Ryan, Grainne Lally & Caroline Saunders who teamed up so well yesterday for the first official coffee brew. We had an extremely successful first day out … the first of very many … we hope. Thanks also to Mike Morrissey & Orla McCaffrey who left no stone unturned in getting this project off the line with figures & spreadsheets that would make the Excel Olympics. We have been blown away by the amazing team of volunteers we have in Colemanstown. So again.. just to say a huge thank you to our Team Colemanstown volunteers. We couldn’t do it without you!
Good news! Plans for our pitch floodlighting are also underway thanks to our recent success in the Community Sports Facilities Fund. Thanks to Adrian Burke, Niall Rohan & Kenny Duane who are currently trying to shed some light on the pitch for us!!
Fundraising efforts. We currently have received over €28,000 in our Sponsor a Sod idonate page towards the provision of our recent astro surface development. This pitch has been a game- breaking changer for us this season. As you know, these pitches aren’t cheap to put in place, but they’re a game-changer not just for our our players but also for our community and future generations too. For those who still wish to support, there’s still time! Donations will be accepted until December 16th. Every bit helps, and together, we’ve turned this long term dream into a reality – now we just need to cover the costs!
New carpark I’m sure all our recent visitors to our grounds have seen our new carpark and it’s all thanks to the incredible generosity and hard work of Gabriel King, who tirelessly volunteered his time and skills as a digger driver, and to Enda Sweeney, Sweeney Agri Contractors who provided the digger free of charge for the duration of the project. Without their support, this much-needed upgrade wouldn’t have been possible. This carpark has already made a world of difference for everyone visiting the pitch, and it’s another example of what can be achieved when a community comes together. Thank you, Gabriel and Sweeney Agri Contractors. You’ve truly levelled up the ground!
At Colemanstown United FC, we’ve witnessed first-hand many times the power of community. Whether it’s pulling together to fundraise, volunteering time and skills, or simply showing up to coach our academy or to cheer from the sideline, our club is built on the strength and generosity of our members & supporters. Every step we take – from the provision of our recent Astro pitch to our new coffee dock is a testament to what can be achieved when a community works as one. As we reflect on what we’ve accomplished and look ahead to what’s still to come, this quote rings especially true:
“In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.” You’d swear it was written for Colemanstown United FC.