Over €6.25 million for Louth sports clubs and facilities

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., and the Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne T.D., today announced  grants with a total value of €6.25 million for new and improved sports facilities and equipment throughout the Louth under the Community Sport Facilities Fund, formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.

Ministers Martin and Byrne were joined by Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, at Cambridge FC in Ringsend to announce the record funding.

The €230m national allocation announced today follows May’s allocation of €26m for sports equipment which brings the total investment in community sport and recreation in 2024 to  €256m. This is a 50% increase on the funding allocated in early 2022 under the 2020 round of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme.

Over 40 separate sports, as well as multi-sport facilities throughout the country, will benefit from the community sport grants announced today. Each application was assessed under criteria including population density, deprivation and access to facilities. Unsuccessful applicants can appeal any grant applications deemed invalid.

Speaking at the announcement in Ringsend today, Minister Martin said:

“Sport is vital to our sense of togetherness and community, from local clubs to professional and high-performance teams and athletes. Each and every one of these grants represents a project that will create a new or improved opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in sport to the best of their ability. Clubs will be better able to serve their communities with the help of this fund. For example 194 clubs are getting funding to install solar panels, 317 clubs are getting funding for LED floodlights and 966 projects will include improvements to pitches.

“These vital improvements and new facilities will add to the equipment allocations announced earlier this year to ensure that more people than ever have access to the sports they love in their local areas.”

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Minister Byrne said:

“Over a quarter of a billion euro is being invested in sports clubs and facilities under the Community Sport Facilities Fund. This level of sports funding is unprecedented and will prove transformative for sports clubs and facilities in communities across Ireland. As a Government, we are committed to providing everyone, of every age and ability, with the opportunity to participate in sport and this record allocation for sport demonstrates that commitment.

“The inspiring performance of Team Ireland at the Olympics and Paralympics recently in Paris demonstrated the positive power of sport and we understand that any sporting journey begins within the community. The record funding being announced today under the Community Sport Facilities Fund underlines this Government’s continued commitment to seeing Irish sport thrive into the future.”

Minister Donohoe said:

“This Government is committed to supporting sport at all levels, from grassroots and community-level facilities right up to our high-performance athletes on the world stage. Sport adds so much to our lives, as spectators, beginners or those who are excelling in their field. The mental and physical benefits are immeasurable. Ensuring adequate investment means that our participants have good facilities at their disposal and can train to compete to the best of their ability, whatever that is. After such a successful summer for our Olympians and Paralympians, it’s great to have an opportunity to underline our investment in sport for everyone, in every community across the country.”

Today’s allocations for Louth are as follows:

Louth - Regional Allocations

Boyne RFC - Construction of a 3g Synthetic Grass Pitch

€401,263

Dundalk Town FC Ltd - 2023 - Installation of new pitch and floodlights €454,228

Louth and Meath Education and Training Board - Bush PP Athletics Track Refurb & 2 lane Extension 

€482,146

Tennis Ireland - Dundalk Indoor Tennis Centre 

€67,500

Local Allocations For Louth 

ABAILE Autism Support Louth & Meath - Outdoor Adult Gym and Physical Exercise Equipment

€25,486

Ace Athletics Club CLG - Development of club field to make it usable. 

€122,083

Ardee Celtic FC - Upgrade clubrooms and spectator railings €51,265

Ardee Golf Club - Enhanced access program, drainage work and machine

€193,502

Ardee St marys GFC - Increase Female, Disabled & Male Participation 

€88,618

Bay Football Club - New clubrooms for Bay FC 

€195,646

Castletown Belles Football Club - Báinseach Pitch Redevelopment €65,643

Clan Na Gael GAA [DUNDALK] - The provision of two new Dressing rooms and a Gym 

€200,000

Cooley Kickhams GAA - Upgrade of training pitch 

€74,231

Cuchulainn Gaels - New Two Story Dressing and Clubrooms €186,196

Darver Community Centre CLG - Upgrade of stairs, landing and upstairs areas 

€65,634

Drogheda and District Athletic Club - Upgrading running track and juvenile facility 

€100,472

Drogheda Special Olympics Club Ltd. - UPGRADE OF CURRENT ACCESSIBLE W/C FACILITY 

€178,119

Dromin Juveniles Football Club - Training Equipment and Refurbishment of Facilities 

€86,414

Dundalk & Carlingford Sailing Club - renovation of changing rooms / new RIB rescue boat 

€76,150

Dundalk Cricket Club - Project Hiney Park 

€50,073

Dundalk Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club - Tennis Court Resurfacing 

€127,126

Edmund Rice Schools Trust Limited - 2023 – St Joseph’s CBS Primary (Drog) All Weather Pitch 

€52,711

Geraldines GFC - Installation of a new 3G artificial playing pitch €132,885

Glenmuir United F.C - Glenmuir future & sustainable development project.

€137,037

Holy Family Boxing and Community Centre [DROGHEDA] - Energy Efficiency Facility Upgrades 

€57,572

Hunterstown Rovers GFC - replace existing ball catch nets 

€26,777

Inver Colpa Rowing Club - Construction of a Boathouse 

€149,380

John Mitchels GFC - Upgrade of floodlights & build disabled toilet €51,451

LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL - 2023 Aura Leisure - Refurbishment Dry side changing facility 

€118,503

Louth LGFA - Louth LGFA Player Development and Outreach €18,217

Mattock Rangers CLG - Refurb of facilities, Buy sports equipment & Mower 

€53,588

Moneymore Football Club - Moneymore scep 2023 

€16,358

Na Piarsaigh GFC - 2023 Development Plan Objectives 

€196,740

Naomh Mairtin C.P.G. - Additional Dressing Rooms & Club Gym construction

€77,896

Naomh Moninne Hurling Club - Naomh Moninne HC Pitch Development 

€152,000

Newtown Blues GFC - All Weather Facility & Access for Special Needs 

€170,259

O'Raghallaighs C.L.G - O'Raghaillaghs GFC Running Track 

€191,025

Rock Celtic FC - Grass Pitch Maintenance and Irrigation 

€39,939

Sean McDermotts G.F.C - Part1:Electric photovoltaic panels, Part 2:Dugouts 

€15,224

Sean O'Mahonys GFC - Floodlight LED Upgrade 

€48,595

St Brides GFC - Astro Pitch, lights, wallball, stairlift 

€170,259

St Joseph's GFC - ST JOSEPHS ENERGY ACTION 

€53,513

St Mochtas GFC - Development of an all-weather enclosed Pitch 

€200,000

St Patrick's G.F.C Rampark - Natural Pitch upgrade 

€103,223

St. Dominics Football Club (FC) - Storage Garage, Equipment, Dressing Rooms 

€76,133

St. Fechins GAA Club - Pitch Drainage, all weather upgrade, Floodlights 

€145,343

Termonfeckin Tennis club - Phase 3 €136,573

The EDUCENA FOUNDATION - Our Ladies College Drogheda Sports Facilities 

€64,306

Tullyallen Access The Glen - Community Hub Project

€49,564

Walshestown Juvenile FC 

€129,954

Equipment Allocations:

Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service - Boyne Fisherman's Grant application €35,099

Dealgan Boxing Club - Reroofing of Dealgan Boxing Club €37,620

Dundalk Commercial Club - Disability Access and Upgrade of Facilities €38,436

Westerns GFC - Mower, energy improvements and LED track lights €21,020