GAA club to honour Colm Horkan's memory with new football pitch

Colm Horkan was killed in a shooting incident last month in Castlerea Co Roscommon.

Charlestown Sarsfield GAA intends the new pitch and walkway to be a tribute to the fallen garda's standing in the community.

Mr Horkan was an active member of the club and was a member of the senior panel for a number of years.

Club Chairman Liam Breheny said the memorial project was already discussed due to a growing membership but was disrupted by the outbreak of Covid-19.

However, a decision taken in the aftermath of Mr Horkan's death brought new momentum to the project.

Mr Breheny described the response and commitment as "overwhelming."

Mr Breheny said: “A decision was made to do it in his memory and since then the approach has been overwhelming.

"We haven’t even approached people yet, they’ve been coming to us wanting to help out.

“It’s not until something like this happens until you see the real spirit of the community.”

Mr Breheny said that the project is meant to be "something lasting for the community," as "plaques and cups can fade from memory but a park, in 50 or 100 years time people will know and ask of Colm Horkan.”

Plans are made to tie the walkway into a wider route surrounding the town and Mr Breheny said that public support at all levels is high for the project.

Mr Horkan's family is also understood to be supportive of the plan.

An organising committee established to oversee the €300,000 project will meet with an engineer later this week.

Construction is expected to begin later this year and aims to be finished by 2023.