Which sports clubs and projects shared almost 2,000 grants worth €230 million?
Grants Regional
The Government on Wednesday announced 1,996 grants for sporting organisations, with a total value of €230 million to be allocated for facilities and equipment under the Community Sport Facilities Fund, formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.
The allocations are split into three categories; equipment applications, local projects and regional projects. The figures show that 127 equipment applications, which are applications submitted as capital but discovered at assessment to be equipment only (funded at 100% as per equipment grants announced in May), were approved amounting to €3,791,906
In terms of local projects - typically sports clubs and groups seeking up to €200,000 - 1,708 applications were approved at a cost of €179,000,000 while under regional projects - typically centres of excellence such as GAA county training centres or synthetic running tracks applying for up to €500,000 - 161 applications were granted at a cost of €47,500,000, to give an overall total of 1996 grants worth €230,291,906.00.
Under the larger regional grant allocations, several GAA projects have been granted funds:
- €365,504 for the Carlow Rising GAA Centre of Excellence
- €478,668 towards a Clare GAA Centre of Excellence All-Weather Pitch
- €343,877 for the Galway Co Board for Pearse Stadium floodlighting
- €196,942 to the Mayo County Board for MacHale Park floodlighting upgrade
- €359,904 to Kerry GAA for a sand-based pitch and LED floodlighting development
- €464,724 to Limerick GAA for Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale
- €340,259 for floodlights at St Tiarnach's GAA Clones
- €383,429 towards a toilets & dressing rooms upgrade for Roscommon county board GAA
- €208,797 to Tipperary GAA for Dr Morris Pk complete gymnasium refurb
Among the soccer grants notable allocations include €485,619 to Bohemian Football Club for a grass playing area, with netting and LED lighting. Kerry FC get €387,953. Sligo Rovers have received €376,270 for development at the Showgrounds.
There is €157,750 for the Munster FA towards Turners Cross stadium upgrades.
The Clare District Soccer League gets €410,656 for upgrade of Frank Healy Park, while the Cork Casement Park project to provide a base for the Cork Women's and Schoolgirls Soccer centre gets €156,229.
The FAI get over €1m in grants directly:
€296,573 for National Centre CCTV & video Analysis upgrade
€500,000 for its nationwide dugout upgrade scheme
€207,648 for the AVIVA Stadium CCTV Analysis equipment upgrade
€274,535 for National Training Centre ground care machinery.
Sligo Rovers chairman Tommy Higgins said: “This is a very significant investment and enables us to take the next steps in the redevelopment of the Showgrounds. I want to take this opportunity to thank Minister Catherine Martin, Minister of State Thomas Byrne and Frank Feighan TD for the interest they have taken in our development plans for the Showgrounds.
“We look forward to working with officials from the department to progress the works covered under this grant. These works are an integral part our Master Plan for the Showgrounds, and with funding allocations under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) expected shortly, these are very exciting times for the Sligo Rovers community as we aim to deliver a modern multi-sports stadium in the lead up to our Centenary celebrations in 2028."
Among the grants for other sports, Neptune Basketball Club gets €424,508 for a high performance facility upgrade, while Limerick Institute of Technology will receive €426,081 for the redevelopment of a basketball regional hub.
Cork Constitution gets €340,259 to expand and upgrade rugby facilities.
Two athletics tracks in Cork have received funding.
Bandon Athletic Club - €404,820 for Outdoor athletics track, field events & jog track
Carrigaline Rugby and Athletics Partnership - €492,555 for a new running track and grass surface playing pitch.
There is a grant of €351,100 to enable the completion of a climbing wall at Lough Lannagh Leisure Complex in Castlebar.
Rowing Ireland gets €245,204 for essential work to the NRC Gym for Olympic athletes
There is €263,000 for a pool roof upgrade for Tralee Sports and Leisure Centre and €496,000 for the upgrade of Mallow municipal swimming pool.