After four long years, Monaghan club Magheracloone Mitchells will finally be able to return to their home pitch this evening.
The club hit national headlines back in 2018 after a massive sinkhole destroyed the playing surface on their grounds, leaving them scrambling to raise funds to fix the issue.
The sinkhole was caused by mining in the local area, when the collapse of a gypsum mine had a huge effect on their playing grounds.
Speaking to RTÉ at the time, club chairman Francis Jones summed up the amount of damage that had been done.
There's a crack straight across one of the juvenile pitches.
It's subsided, as well as part of our main pitch and viewing area, which has also subsided and, in turn, caused damage to our clubhouse.
A GoFundMe page was set up at the time, although it would take the best part of four years before the pitch was in a good enough condition to set foot on again.
Magheracloone set to return to pitch after four years
Now, they're back.
Magheracloone are set to play on their home grounds for the first time in four years later tonight, taking on Doohamlet in a challenge game.
Home is where the football is at ⚫️⚪️
We're all really looking forward to seeing all our members and supporters tomorrow evening for our first ever match on our new pitch.
Throw in is at 7pm against @DoohamletGFC
Best of luck lads 👍👍 pic.twitter.com/1R9gVGyuva— Magheracloone GAA (@MitchellsGAA_) August 19, 2022
Speaking to Northern Sound, chairman Francis Jones summed up the struggles they have gone through since that mad incident back in 2018.
It's coming up on four years since there was subsidence and we lost our grounds.
So for the last four years we have had no home pitch.
We have been on the road to pitches here, there and everywhere.
That is why tomorrow night with our first home game on our new pitch is so exciting.
Magheracloone have had some good times in the intervening years despite their struggles. They would be crowned as Monaghan and Ulster intermediate champions back in 2019, remaining in the senior ranks over the last couple of seasons.
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