Tourmakeady is a beautiful rural village in Mayo that is situated in the west of Ireland and stretches along the shores of famous trout lake, Lough Mask, on one side and the beautiful Partry mountains on the other side. Tourmakeady Gaelic Football club is preparing to host the national finals of the inter-Gaeltacht football tournament, Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta, from June 2-5, 2017. This annual festival of Irish sport and culture, which is returning to Mayo for the first time since Belmullet hosted it in 2010, will bring thousands of visitors to Tourmakeady and the surrounding district. Clubs from all over Ireland including Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Dublin, Meath as well as clubs from Belfast and London will participate.

National Gaelic Football stars such as Chris Barrett, Ryan McHugh, Odhrán MacNiallais, Paddy McBrearty and the Ó Sé brothers have featured in recent Comórtas finals. In the ladies competition, prominent players of past seasons include Galway’s Lorna Joyce, Donegal’s Geraldine McLoughlin, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh from Kerry, as well as Tourmakeady’s own Nuala Ní Shé and Martha Ní Mháille.

The Comórtas has been likened to a “mini-Olympics” because when Tourmakeady GAA’s bid to host the event was accepted back in 2013, then began a fundraising drive to upgrade the club’s grounds. To date, over €300,000 has been raised through local contributions and grants. A major project involving the refurbishment of the original clubhouse, development of a second training pitch in partnership with local secondary school, Coláiste Muire, surface enhancement of the existing pitch,  and the construction of a community sports hall incorporating a GAA skills wall, gymnasium and youth resource centre is well under way. It is busy times indeed for the committee of Tourmakeady GAA club, who in addition to managing this development project and preparing to organise a national festival must also keep the ordinary business of the club ticking over.

“It’s all hands on deck from now until June to get things ready but we are very much looking forward to the Comórtas. With Irish Television channel, TG4 and National Radio station, Raidio na Gaeltachta as the main sponsors, we have a wonderful chance to showcase the hidden beauty of Tourmakeady and south Mayo”, said club secretary, Michael Lang. “When the Comórtas is behind us, our community will have many long years ahead to enjoy the benefits of the new facilities”