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MINISTER FOR SPORT Catherine Martin and Minister of State Thomas Byrne have today announced the second round of funding allocations under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).
Today’s announcement comprises grants for 35 projects totalling €173 million, and come just ahead of a soon-to-be-announced general election.
Bohemians Football Club is one of the big winners out of today’s grant announcements, receiving €24.7 million for the redevelopment of Dalymount Park.
Here’s a breakdown of which counties are getting new or improved sports facilities:
Carlow:
Carlow Town is in line to get a new €4.2 million Water Hub Activity Centre with storage and amenities for rowing and dragon boats, youth service, changing facilities, boat equipment units and a training and fitness room.
Cavan:
County Cavan has received €19 million for phase one of a two-phase development of a regional sports campus.
Facilities will include a covered sports arena with a playing pitch and spectator seating, as well as other facilities including four GAA pitches and an artificial hockey pitch.
Clare:
County Clare has been allocated €3.2 million for the completion of its GAA centre of excellence.
Cork:
The Cork town of Mallow has been allocated €2 million for the development of an athletics running track with floodlights.
Donegal:
Donegal has received funding worth €8.7 million for phase two of its development of the LetterKenny regional hub, which means it can now add a GAA pitch, 5-a-side pitches and a Pavilion Building that will feature a spectator stand, changing rooms and studios, as well as meeting, multi-purpose and other spaces.
Dublin:
Six projects in Dublin have been approved for funding today.
The most notable is a €24.7 million allocation for the redevelopment of Bohemian Football Club’s Dalymount Park.
The Spawell Cluster Facility has received €7 million to create a GAA centre of excellence, three full-size pitches, one synthetic pitch as well as other training facilities.
Morton Stadium has also received €7 million for an indoor athletic training facility with a full 8 lane 100-metre track, a high-jump area, gym, medical and physiotherapy treatment spaces and other amenities.
Tallaght Stadium is getting €650,000 for an upgrade of its floodlights.
Hyde Park in Dalkey, which is used by Cuala GAA and Dalkey AFC,has been allocated €4.6 million for an indoor sports hall, ball wall, gym, fitness studio, changing rooms, office, physio room, storage, lobby, and toilets.
The Marley Park Sports Hub has received €2 million for the next phase of developing its multi-sport facilities.
Galway:
Kinvara Hockey Club is in line to receive €1.3 million for a new pitch and accompanying features.
St. Jarlath’s in Tuam has been allocated €2 million for the development of a new synthetic pitch and a full-size GAA grass pitch.
Kerry:
Killarney RFC has received €750,000 for the further development of its clubhouse and facilities.
Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney has received €6 million for phase one of the reconstruction of the existing spectator terrace at the western end of the stadium and associated works.
Kildare:
Sallins Park in Naas has received €3 million in funding for a number of new pitches to be developed.
Kildare is also getting €1.4 million for a high performance golf centre. The county has also been allocated 1 million for its Cross-Community Development Project for GAA.
Leitrim:
Leitrim’s Shannonside Centre project has received €3.3 million for an 8-lane 400m athletics track with an internal grass pitch and a full-size multi-sport 4G pitch with floodlights and dressing rooms.
Limerick:
Limerick’s City North Arena project has received €7.5 million for the development of an indoor cycling velodrome as well as a range of facilities for other sports including basketball, tennis and volleyball.
Patrickswell GAA has received €650,000 for a new pitch, training area and running track.
Louth:
St. Oliver’s school has been allocated €7.2 million for the development of a general purpose sports hall, equipped to host various sporting events and activities.
Mayo:
The Mayo Sports Campus has been granted €7.5 million for a range of athletics facilities.
Meath:
The Seafield Community Facility has been allocated €2.3 million for athletics facilities and a soccer pitch.
St. Colmcille’s GAA has received €1 million for new full-size pitches and training pitches.
The Trim arena athletics facility project received €1.1 million.
Monaghan:
Killeevan Sarsfields GAA has received €1 million for a new playing field.
Offaly:
The Edenderry Pool project has been allocated €8.9 million to develop a facility for competitive swimming.
Roscommon:
The Roscommon GAA – Dermot Earley Centre of Excellence project has been awarded €5.5 million.
Sligo:
Sligo Rovers have received €16.4 million for major upgrades to their stadium.
Wexford:
The East Coast Hub in Gorey has been allocated €4.9 million for the development of a hockey pitch, cricket pitch, cycling track and indoor multi-use sports facility.
The Wexford GAA Centre of Excellence has received €3.5 million for phase three of its development.
And finally, Wexford FC has received €2 million for the development of its main pitch, a viewing stand and training pitches.
Minister Martin said today that the fund “plays a crucial role in our strategy to enhance physical activity and well-being among the population”.
“This funding will help to create a legacy of sporting excellence in Ireland, inspiring future generations to engage in physical activity and pursue their sporting ambitions.”
Minister Byrne touted aspects of the grant requirements that promote equal access to sporting facilities.
He said inclusivity in sports “is paramount and thanks to the implementation of the new Similar Access Requirement, we have ensured that women and men will enjoy similar access to all sports facilities, which are publicly funded”.
The approved projects will now go through further evaluation and due diligence processes, which will vary in extent and nature based on the size and specifics of each project, the Department said in a statement.
A new “use it or lose it” clause has also been introduced, which aims to ensure that “if there has been no drawdown of any part of a grant within 2-3 years (timelines may vary from project to project), or before a new LSSIF round is announced, the grant offer will be deemed withdrawn”.
You can find a full list of the funding allocations here.
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Probably just go with the flow at this stage. Great idea lads. Good use of resources. Well done. Can’t see these being wrecked at all. 10m to install, ex vat, the add on extra for added costs rising so that’s 100m, then 400m to remove them when they’re wrecked in 6 months.
@Rafa C: this is a DCC project, many of us would avail of them as we don’t have space indoors or safe places to lock bikes outside. it isn’t going to affect you out past leixlip or wherever you said you lived the other day so don’t fret too much.
@Rafa C: The ones near me in Stoneybatter have been in several years and work great. But don’t let that stop you having a good aul moan.
@eoin fitzpatrick: I never said they wouldn’t be availed of, and I never said you don’t have space for storing bikes.
Does it affect me? And others? Yes. I think it does.
Let’s just wait and see the final cost for this project, and the inevitable removal of these due to thievery, vandalism, anti-social behaviour and probably a few other things.
They won’t last long.
Out where I live, they put a cycle pump and bike repair kit at the entrance to the canal – it was only put in 2 weeks ago and it’s already wrecked and unusable.
@Sal Paradise: Great to hear Sal, but with many others being put in the risk rises for thievery, vandalism and other anti-social situations.
I’m delighted it works for you in your area. But there’s a bigger picture, additional costs, and inevitable removal due to issues.
@Rafa C: in case you dont realise it Rafa , most citizens of our fair city dont go around wrecking facilities provided by city council Fingal, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown or SDCC. In fact most of the great public facilities of our country are in Dublin
@Peter Byrne: We clearly have not experienced the same Dublin. Time will tell.
@Rafa C: The same was said when Dublin Bikes was launched. Vandals will destroy them. It never happened and it turned out to be a great success.
@Rafa C: Ah, I don’t know Rafa. I see winter potential right there, bikes having been stolen the shed shell can then be covered in tarpaulin; sort of accommodation for ‘visitors’. Safe spaces, like…
@Rafa C: yes but please do think of the effect of the green stamp it will have for every person who’s on a bike for those 6 months who uses it. The reduction in emissions from not using vehicles for that limited time will have tremendous results. The air quality will be absolutely wonderful altogether there.
Great news. Addresses the problem of keeping a bike in a small or terraced house.
I use the one in Stoneybatter as I live in a third floor apartment, they have never been vandalised due to their solid structure.
@Áine G: C’mon now. Can’t be having that sort of positive reaction to a story.
Great news. I have friends who have been using these in a couple of locations and so it’s good that others will be able to avail of them.
We need more bike bunkers I am sure.
@Sean Money: Any place where bimes can be locked safely is good.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: we must protect the bimes
@Sean Money: 20,000 bikes reported stolen every year, the real figure is multiples of that probably. So yes, it’s a good idea
Be a shining beacon for anti-social types.
@AnthonyK: Haven’t been to date.
@Jack Hayes: save the lads putting up tents. Accommodation in Dublin for €100 a year . Great value
Anything for motorbikes on the horizon…
To many thefts
Love it when I hear councillors saying it will be great for the inner city. As when requests were made to get them installed in council flat complex’s in the inner city, they were ignored by DCC and the party of the councilors quoted!
I was there when the requests were made repeatedly!
And repeatedly ignored.
Like the idea but 33k per bunker is mad stuff
@David Griffin:
You could get a shipping container for that ,and put 100 or more in.
How does it cost in excess of 30,000 for each ex vat.?
@Mark Fox: no the €30k is for the brown envelope. The bunker only costs €1k in normal land.
@Mark Fox: 30,000 per individual bike holding section with absolutely tremendous benefits to the local community and all cabbage heads alike.
For crying out loud DCC it rains every other day and it pitch dark 6 months of the year! Who wants to cycle in Dublin. Tha vast majority of cyclists are school kids and delivery drivers! They don’t need bike bunkers your only keeping the thieves dry while there robbing the bikes in Dublins fair city!
It’s taken up a car park space
@Shane O Mac: That’s the hope!
@Shane O Mac: where will I park my 4wd range rover archorpanzer now?
@Shane O Mac: yes, one car space lost = 6 bike spaces gained. Win,win.
@Dermot Blaine: for €33,000 per bunker you could ditch your bicycle and actually finally be able to afford a car.
@Shane O Mac: takes up a car space but frees up several.
@Dermot Blaine: loss loss in winter time
They will be put in the same type of locations as the others. You will not see them in council estates or older persons accommodation.
Ugly things that take away from the areas they are in. Look like old watchmen’s huts.
@Gary Kearney: if that’s your take, you’ll be outraged when you see all the private cars stored on streets up and down the country.
Just everywhere, they are!
@Ciaran Foster: and they pay for the privilege with road tax insurance what do bikes pay sod all
@Paul Dennis: no such thing as “road tax” and plenty of taxpayers pay taxes
@Paul Dennis: They pay more than a car does. Residential parking permit in DCC is 65e for 12 months. One of those bunkers also takes 6 bikes. Assuming it fills, that is 600e for one spot rather than 65e for one car
@KL M: explain how there is no such thing as road tax?
I’m order to use any motorised vehicle one has to pay tax. It is a tax on the usage of a motor vehicle on a public road so it is, in affect, a road tax. One can own a motor vehicle & declare it off the road removing the need to pay tax.
Have to laugh at all the brainwashed NPC’s that believe they are saving the world by eliminating cars. Bigots the most of them that don’t understand they are being manipulated & the ones that realise it won’t admit it because of their ego (but like covid & vaccines
This is a real problem I know people who don’t cycle cause don’t have any place to keep a bike.
We need them also farther away from the city centre like 6/7km at least.
@MM: The Further the better!!!
have your say