Banagher Designed

IF I COULD I’D BUILD A WALL Banagher Concrete has become synonymous with the construction and installation of high-grade hurling training walls in recent years. Hogan Stand caught up with three men with close links to both the company and the game in Offaly: civil engineer John Kenna, Tony Murphy, sales, and Banagher founding member Padge Mulhare. f it’s true, as entrepreneurs and economists alike would Microsoft and the desktop computer in the great tech boom argue, that there’s no accumulation without of the 1990s, Banagher Concrete is now synonymous with Ispeculation, then shrewd investment is surely the key hurling wall facility, which is being seen with increasing to all success. And while funding may be more difficult to regularity throughout Ireland. come by in an economic downturn, it’s possible that The advantages of the hurling wall are readily apparent, investment in the current climate could be the best way to and GAA treasurers and decision-making bodies are finding lay solid foundations for the future. Whether it’s in the the ways and means to finance the investment in the next corridors of power at the Department of Finance or a GAA generation. John Kenna, who operates on the civil club in rural Ireland, the basic principle remains the same: engineering side of Banagher Concrete’s hurling wall you reap what you sow. projects, told Hogan Stand: “The idea for the hurling wall Which is why the executive committees of clubs and was something that came about in around 2003 or 2004 as County Boards through the 32 counties have been the brainchild of a man called Kieran Keenaghan. Kieran responding with enthusiasm to the latest developments in was one of the founding members of Banagher Concrete 30 GAA training technology. Foremost among those are years ago, he’s still there driving it on and he’s the main hurling training walls, which may require a significant man behind the hurling wall. He’s a Banagher man too, and initial investment but will provide a state-of-the-art facility has strong links with Banagher, Offaly and Leinster hurling. for generations to come. Banagher Concrete, the renowned “Once he came up with the idea, it started gathering pace County Offaly-based precast concrete company which fairly quickly – we sent out information to club secretaries, specialises in large-scale projects throughout Europe, has treasurers and chairpersons all over the country, and a lot of added an exceptional string to its bow over the past six them were very interested. Over the last six years or so there years with the development of the hurling wall. Akin to have been a few tweaks to make it as good as we possibly 104 March 2010 www.hoganstand.com can, and there are now different options available, from sizes, heights, foundations, etc. Some clubs might want a longer wall, others might be a bit shorter on space and want something a bit smaller. We can accommodate all those requirements.” Surely the construction of such a permanent structure requires much upheaval? Apparently not, according to Kenna. “It’s a very quick solution, and the work required by the club is fairly minimal,” he says. “All that’s required on site is a simple set of foundations, which the club can employ a local contractor to do. And that’s all we need; there’s no need for projecting bolts or bars. Once the flat foundations are in, we take over completely and we can be out of there pretty much inside a day. We drill the foundations and make sure the wall is safe and structurally sound. All the walls are made from the same moulds, everything is designed to fit together seamlessly and the system has developed so much that they’re more or less mass-produced now, so all that helps to limit the costs to the club.” Inevitably, competitors have surfaced in the intervening years but from feedback received from clubs, Kenna believes Banagher Concrete still offers the most competitive package, and one which is grounded in the experience of having been at the forefront of the technology since the outset. “Clubs will ask us for a quote and they’ll be pricing around but they generally feel that we’re very reasonable on price,” he says. “We were the first to offer the hurling wall and with the experience we’ve built up, and the fact that Banagher Concrete is such a major player in all precast concrete, most of them acknowledge that we’re best equipped to deliver the best possible product.” As with many ground-breaking products, word of mouth and the experience of the end user helps to expand its appeal. “We notice that when we do one wall, you tend to get enquiries from elsewhere in the locality,” says Kenna. “For instance, we did one in Causeway in Kerry last year. There wouldn’t be many hurling walls in the county but when one goes up it generates interest in the area and that’s what we’ve found, we’ve been getting calls from clubs that might not have been in touch if we hadn’t done one there.” With the construction sector so adversely affected by the slowdown in economic activity, and cashflow precious to all facets of society these days, one would expect that a similar scenario might be evident in the sphere of hurling walls. But that’s not necessarily the case, says Kenna. “The uptake has been good all across the country, and the market seems to be good. Other sectors might be slow over the winter period but from the end of last year and the start of this, we’ve been pouring almost non-stop. The more walls go up, the more interest they generate, and it’s definitely something that a lot of clubs are considering at the moment as a good investment in the future.” Another notable advantage of Banagher Concrete is that the men behind the product are so rooted in hurling. Kenna is a player with Kilcormac-Killoughey, who reached the Offaly senior hurling final last year, while Tony Murphy, the man charged with the task of selling the hurling walls to clubs, is an esteemed Offaly hurling man. A Seir Keiran clubman of long standing, Murphy is currently part of Joe Dooley’s backroom team for the county side, and he is exuberant about the long-term advantages of the hurling wall. “The wall is tremendous for improving skill levels and strengthening your weaker side,” he says. “Kids get great benefit out of using them but they’re great for adults as well. The most popular wall, the 100-foot model – you can train a whole squad on that with one trainer. Paudie www.hoganstand.com March 2010 105 Butler, the GAA’s director of hurling, is big into this wall, and he’s informing clubs that they’re the way forward. He’s a tremendous man, and he’s only too delighted to come to clubs and do drills on the hurling wall.” Murphy’s experience from dealing with club officials is that where there’s a will, there’s a way. “It’s a sizeable enough investment from a club’s point of view, and I know that they already have a lot of expenses from footballs and hurleys and sliotars. But the way it is, if Offalys 1981 All-Ireland Senior Hurling winning management team, l/r: Mick Spain, Andy Gallagher, Padge they’re interested they’ll Mulhare, Charlie Daly, Tommy Errity (selectors), Dermot Healy (manager), Tony Murphy (secretary) find a way of raising the funds. They say ‘This is and should be, and the inadequacies of skill and speed the way forward and we’ll raise the money somehow.’” While the development of hurling walls is still in its levels are clearly noted. The brainchild of Banagher relative infancy, Murphy believes that the next 20 or 30 Concrete is the ultra modern replacement for the old barn years will see them become a regular feature of clubs right wall, with the window target that was used by the many across the country. “I think it will. It’s the way forward. The hurling greats of former years.” improvement in the skill level of players is something else. For more details on the products and services provided by The surface is also all-weather so on a wet evening when Ireland’s leading manufacturer of hurling walls, visit you might not be able to go onto the field, you can train on www.bancrete.com, contact John Kenna at the wall. Clubs have erected floodlights up around them [email protected] or 086-8250187, or call Tony too. There’s a fierce lot of advantages.” Murphy on 087-2591720. Though now retired from the company, Padge Mulhare is one of the founding members of Banagher Concrete and remains a man intrinsically linked with all levels of Offaly hurling. A former footballer and hurler with the Faithful County, Mulhare was part of the management team for each of Offaly’s four All-Ireland senior hurling wins between 1981 and 1998. Like Murphy and Kenna, the St Rynagh’s clubman is a huge fan of the Banagher hurling wall. He said: “In my opinion the hurling wall is a must for any forward thinking hurling club. It’s essential for the development of the many and varied hurling skills required for our young aspiring players. What better place to learn the art of catching, striking on both sides, wrist development, fast ball movement and control.

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