The Osprey Hotel in Naas has been announced as an official partner of Kildare GAA and will now be the base for the team on match days, while the numerous facilities on offer at the hotel will also be available to members of the senior football and hurling teams.
Kildare Senior Football manager, Cian O'Neill, described how having a base that everyone is familiar with on match day would be 'critical' to the team's preparation going forward.
"To have a stable base that players know is their base in terms of a match day routine, which can be a daunting task for anyone, particularly the younger players, to know that we meet here, we have our pre-match meal here, the bus picks us up, up we go to Croke Park."
"Potentially we have seven matches left this year and everyone one of those are in Croke Park, so the important of this base, you couldn't overestimate it. They've been fantastic since we've set up here. We use it for meetings, for small conferences so I really value the relationship with the Osprey, it's critical," said O'Neill.
With the hotel located in Naas, it will provide a good central area for players travelling from all corners of the county, and trips into Croke Park(hopefully frequent ones) will be straightforward once the bus gets onto the N7.
Karen Geraghty, Sales and Marketing Manager, Osprey Hotel, said “As part of the PREM Group, the Osprey Hotel is committed to supporting the communities in which our hotels are based. We are particularly proud to partner with Kildare GAA, which makes such an important contribution to the sporting and community culture of the county. We wish the senior teams every success in this year’s competitions.”
Welcoming the partnership, Ger Donnelly, Chairman of Kildare County Board, said "The Osprey Hotel is a well known employer of local people, many of whom are GAA members so this partnership is a perfect fit for the GAA and the hotel. The facilities on offer at the Osprey for players and our officials alike are second to none and will form an important part of Kildare GAA’s ambition to be the best that we can be on and off the field."
"We are looking forward to continuing to build our relationship with the Osprey Hotel during theterm of the agreement and beyond," concluded Donnelly.
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