Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Ryston Sports and Social Club and I would like to congratulate everyone involved in reaching this important milestone. This beautiful new Clubhouse is a fitting home for a Club which has a vibrant membership and a long and proud history.
The Ryston Sports and Social Club, which I am delighted to officially open here today, was formerly Irish Ropes Social Club. The event which provided the impetus for its establishment back in 1949 was a friendly GAA match between Irish Ropes and another local firm, Goodbodys of Clara.
At its height, Irish Ropes employed 1100 workers from Newbridge and the surrounding areas. And while the social club enjoyed early success, it was some years before it acquired its own premises.
All social club meetings were initially held in Irish Ropes but in the late 1950s, the company handed over the land at Ryston to their workers in order to build a sports and social club. The original clubhouse was a prefabricated structure and in 1999 this club signed a 200 year lease with the new landlord, Barlo Packaging, which was to safeguard your future here.
Plans were then put in place to build a new clubhouse and today we see the fruits of all your labour. This new Clubhouse, which includes a general entertainment area, a members’ bar, meeting rooms, shower and changing facilities, will give a whole new lease of life to your already thriving club. I would like to congratulate the construction company, Newhall Construction, on this excellent development.
Ryston Sports and Social Club already has a wide range of social activities which include pitch & putt, badminton, boxing, pigeon racing, bowls, set dancing, line dancing, bingo and gymnastics. I also hear that the Club has enjoyed tremendous success at National and International level at both Pitch & Putt and Boxing, bringing numerous national titles to Newbridge.
I am pleased to say that Ryston Sports and Social club has always been a very inclusive club catering for all members of the community. It has always enjoyed a strong juvenile membership and many of those who started out as younger members are now involved in coaching and committee work here. That is something you should be very proud of indeed. It is an excellent example of the important role social clubs play in our community today and it is always rewarding to see members reinvesting in their club.
I know you also do tremendous work in running fundraising functions for many of your local charities and I would like to compliment you on this initiative.
It only remains for me to thank Peter Bell, Club Secretary, for his kind invitation here today. I am sure that membership at Ryston Sports and Social Club will continue to grow for many years to come and I wish you all success and happiness in your new Clubhouse.
Thank you.
Ends.