What a great start to the week for the six communities across Carlow and Kilkenny receiving a total of €238,000 funding today for significant community initiatives and enhancements.
County | Project | Grant |
Carlow | Scoil Moling Glynn: installation of astroturf pitch | €45,000 |
Carlow | St Patrick’s N.S: all-weather running track | €44,538 |
Kilkenny | Ballyouskill Dev Assoc: community hall upgrade | €36,641 |
Kilkenny | Windgap Handball Alley: external insulation | €29,419 |
Kilkenny | Naomh Aodhan Community Centre: handball alley | €44,312 |
Kilkenny | Windgap GAA: driveway and parking area | €38,307 |
The funding, allocated under the Department of Rural and Community Development’s CLÁR programme, is directed at small infrastructural projects in designated rural areas, and today’s announcement will see an overall investment of €11.4 million for 264 projects around the country.
Any funding for community facilities and amenities is always welcome, but what makes this CLÁR funding really special is that the projects we’re seeing funded today are truly community-led initiatives, based on a bottom-up approach. These ideas and proposals have come directly from community groups, sports clubs and schools, and they know better than anyone what enhancements, upgrades or additions to existing community facilities are most needed in their area.
This round of CLÁR investment will support the development of sports and outdoor facilities, like an astro-turf pitch and a running track in Carlow, and in Kilkenny we’re seeing an upgrade to a community hall; improved access at GAA grounds; enhancement of a handball alley Windgap, along with the refurbishment of a handball alley in Kilmanagh - a much-loved local landmark that will hopefully now continue to be a well-used local amenity long into the future.
As a government we have always recognised the importance of supporting local community groups to deliver on the ambition and vision that they have for their areas, whether that’s protecting their heritage, enhancing biodiversity, taking climate action, or making a really positive difference to the quality of life for local people through community development initiatives. This is another strong example of that, and I want to congratulate all the local groups who have been successful in progressing their projects.
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