GAA President Jarlath Burns opens new Brookeborough gym

The Heber Mahons club greeted the President with a guard of honour as a number of its younger members watched on.

“It was a great honour to have him down as the GAA President,” Brookeborough Secretary Aisling Howell said.

“I suppose coming from a small club himself, in Armagh, he was very easy to work with. He just came in and got on with it, he was very chatty, spoke to everyone, and had time for everyone.

(Image: Trevor Armstrong)

"We had been working on the facilities and wanted to have an opening day, so, we then got in touch whenever he was announced as President back in February time.

"We had it in our minds because he is so close, that it would be great to get the GAA President because he is from Ulster.

(Image: Trevor Armstrong)

"We approached Croke Park and his office and got a date, and he was willing then to come down.”

There were plenty of Brookeborough youngsters down to witness the opening of the new facilities as the club hopes to see them used to good effect in the coming years.

“That was the big thing,” Aisling added. “It’s those kind of things that stick in your memory.

"To say you were there the day the President came to the club is a big thing, and it’ll stay in the children’s memory.

"I think because he was so friendly, they’ll go away with a good sense from him and they probably seen him on the TV recently handing over the All-Ireland with the buzz of Armagh winning, so, I think it was more timely that he came now.”

When asked how important the new gym was for the club, Aisling responded: “It's a big boost for the club. For such a small club, to have those facilities, it can only bring on our players, and it’s a community thing as well.

"We’re in a rural part of Fermanagh so, if the gym can be an outlet for everyone, I think it’s a good foresight for the club who have put the money and effort into this to have it and it should tide more people back to the club.”