Whatever day of the week you decide to visit Billy’s Tea Rooms in Ballyhale, Co Kilkenny, you will not only find a warm welcome and an all-day Irish breakfast, but also probably some of the players from prolific GAA club Shamrocks – which is just across the road. Although a scenic, cultural and historic area that attracts lots of tourists, there was visible decline in the village. To combat this, and the loneliness being felt with no central hub in which to gather and chat with neighbours and locals about life on and off the pitch, a committee was formed.