Tyrone GAA club raises almost £500,000 for its new facilities

ESKRA Emmetts have raised nearly half a million pounds towards their new facilities following ten months of incredible effort from their dedicated ticket sellers.

The club hosted their grand development draw on Friday night in the Bridge Tavern, where it was announced to great fanfare that a grand total of £470,734 has been accrued towards a once-in-a-generation project to build a floodlit training field with a community walkway.

Special guest on the night was Tyrone GAA Secretary Michael Kerr, who drew the winning tickets with Killyclogher man Michael Deehan landing the top prize of £15,000.

The recipients of the £1,000 prizes were Niamh O’Connell (Emyvale), Colm O’Brien (Meath), Sean and Margaret McKenna (Eskra), Damien Bannigan (Drumquin) and Phillip McGeery (Killeeshil), while the £250 sellers prize went the way of Liam McKenna.

The Eskra club expressed its gratitude to all those who supported their fund-raising efforts in a statement which was released in the aftermath of Friday night’s draw:

“We were honoured to welcome our local community in such great numbers. A heartfelt thank you to Gerard Tracey for supporting the launch of our Draw and to Tyrone GAA Secretary, Michael Kerr, who joined us as our special guest and drew the winning tickets.

“From the very beginning, we believed this draw had the potential to be a game changer for our club, but the generosity and support we’ve received has been beyond anything we could have imagined.

“As our chairperson Cathal McNamee said on the night, we are eternally grateful to everyone who supported us from our own parish to clubs, towns, and villages across Ulster and beyond. Each ticket bought is an investment in the future of our club and our community.

“A huge thank you as well to Shane O’Hagan and all the staff at the Bridge Tavern for their outstanding hospitality – as always, they were top class. To every volunteer, every ticket seller, and every supporter, thank you. You’ve brought our motto to life: ’Working Together, Developing Our Future.’”