Highview Athletic are the latest club to achieve the FAI Club Mark Entry Level award after fantastic work from the Kilkenny-based club.

Highview Athletic, founded in 1970, has gone to strength to strength in recent years having set up their first Girls team in 2017 and then founded their Academy in 2018.

The club are currently fundraising for an all-weather pitch through a variety of different efforts in the local community, including the Annual Michael Carey Memorial Golf Classic.

Due to the significant funds raised to date, works have begun and expect to be completed in 2022 which will bring the club to a new level in the community.

"It is fantastic to see another club in Kilkenny reach FAI Club Mark standard," said FAI Development Officer Will Kinsella.

"Highview Athletic have put in an incredible amount of work over recent years to reach the requirements of the FAI Club Mark and this is a fantastic recognition of their efforts. Grassroots football took a huge hit over the course of the pandemic but seeing local clubs bounce back from the pandemic has been brilliant and once again, grassroots football is centre stage in Kilkenny.

"I'd like to thank Matthew Dunne, Natasha Cullen and Judy Bolger on their work with the Club Mark process and to the Chairperson Louise Doyle for bringing it all together."

About Highview Athletic

Highview Athletic FC was formed in 1970 on the back of an entertaining FIFA World Cup. Some debate was had on the name and in the end a compromise was reached, merging the main places where the founders lived, High Street and Fairview.

The first President was Dr. Tierney, he also played an important role in securing our pitch. As Chelsea won the FA Cup that year, blue became the clubs' colour and the first jerseys were bought for us by Tommy O’Brien, from O’Brien’s Bar.

The jerseys were washed, by hand, every Sunday by Kitty Holden wife of long-time Honorary Secretary John ‘Lark’ Holden. Harristown began as the club's ground and despite a few pit-stops on the way, including Tom McDonald’s and Sonny McGee’s field, remains home today.

Michael Carey led the team to the club's first Shield in 1972, just two years after we were formed, and we repeated that honour in 1976 and 2019. They've have won two Youth Cup Finals, a First Division Cup and were FAI Kilkenny Arial Champions.

The club's schoolboys section was founded in the 1980s and has gone from strength to strength, with the setting up their first Academy in 2018, and the first Girls’ team in 2017.