Having purchased 16 acres of the old Galbraith Estate at Clanabogan, Drumragh Sarsfields are presently engaged in planning sporting facilities, dressing rooms, the regeneration of the garden area and providing a picnic area.
To date the club embarked on fundraising activities and recently held two record-breaking development draws, which required total dedication from all members of the club.
A progressive committee embarked upon a £15,000 Development Draw during the winter of 2000 in order to finance the purchase and initial stages of the development, with this and funding from the Sports Council Lottery, Omagh District Council and Omagh Forum for Rural Associations, work begun on the site in June 2002. Ireland manager, Brian McEniff drew the winning ticket in Sally O’Briens on the 8th December 2000 and announced a lucrative £10,000 first prize award for the Adria Accounts Syndicate, Strabane.
Essentially this development will lead to the return of Drumragh to the area where the club’s origins lie, having been founded as Tattysallagh St Eugenes in the late 19th Century.
Another element of the development is the historical aspect of the estate and, at present, research is being undertaken to find out both about the estate and Patrick Sarsfield, after whom the club has been named.
So far, the research has uncovered that John Street and James Street, in the town of Omagh, are named after two sons of the Galbraith family; in 1834 the estate was given a grant of £100 by the board of Fruits to plant an orchard; and the last Lt. Col James Galbrait O.B.E. who died in 1950 used to open his gardens for summer outdoor fetes on behalf of the Omagh District Nursing Society.
During 2002/2003 the club ran a major fundraiser in which the star prize was a 4 bedroom detached house at Coolnagard Village in Omagh, and the 2nd prize being a Vauxhall Corsa. There were then a further 13 cash prizes on the night of the draw. There were also two monthly draws for £100 each for ten months running before the final draw. This draw was limited to 3000 tickets priced at £100 each.
This draw took place on the 31st of October 2003 in St. Joseph’s Hall, Omagh. The winning tickets on the night were drawn by members of the All-Ireland winning Tyrone Senior team, Ryan McMenamin & Conor Gormely, members of the Tyrone County Board and officials from their neighbouring clubs, Omagh St.Endas, Killyclogher St.Marys and Tattyreagh St.Patricks. Sam Maguire was also in attendance, of course!