Archive image of work being carried out on the transformation of “Jelly’s Pit”. (Source: www.abbeyleix.ie)
History of Fr Breen Park
The park was once the site of a gravel pit, leased by the Jelly Family and known locally as the Jelly Pit. The Vesey Family donated additional grounds to provide space for two tennis courts.
The park incorporates a full-size GAA pitch, soccer pitch, all weather pitches & ball wall, all weather tennis courts, walkway and a shared clubhouse. The shared clubhouse includes dressing rooms for the various sporting disciplines and two multi use upstairs meeting or indoor exercise spaces.
The site was made available to the community by the Vesey family to provide opportunities for everyone in Abbeyleix to engage in Sport and Recreation. It was always the ambition of the family that the Park would be available to everyone and that no one would be excluded. In 1921, the local GAA Club moved into the pit to play their hurling and football.
About a year later the parish priest of the time Rev Fr. Breen decided that the pit could be transformed into a town park and set about organising the transformation. He made representations to the Viscount de Vesci towards the end of 1923 which resulted in a 91-year lease being granted.
Many volunteer workers were persuaded to take part in what is known as “ The Big Push”. Using picks, spades and shovels, the people of the town swept into the pit and in a very short period the pit was transformed into a large area of green grass surrounded by a grassy bank. In a gesture of honour and appreciation, the park was named the Fr. Breen Park. Fr. John Breen died in September 1929.
This lease was further extended in 2008 and more recently at the end of 2022 thanks to the continued generous support to the park by Thomas Vesey.
The Tennis Club was already in residence in one corner and the local GAA teams began to play their matches regularly in the park. Slowly over the years other sports made use of the pitch. Marquee tents were erected on special occasions and carnivals and dances organised. of Abbeyleix.
The site was also the location for Abbeyleix Agricultural Show for many years.
In time a hall was built which became the CYMS and now Parish Hall and was available for a great variety of functions. Over the years works were completed on the GAA pitch, the soccer pitch was developed, the tennis club expanded with 2 additional courts and the club house was constructed. With the provision of changing rooms and such, the park developed into the multi-sports facility that it is today.
