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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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This is all about blame, the government wants the ability to point to a quango and blame it on the future hikes in energy and fuel prices, but we all know it them pushing the failed green ajenda and making ordinary people poorer.
@087 bed: Yep Germany closed down their nuclear and coal electricity plants, and bought into the renewables like wind and solar, but when they turned off their cheap russian gas, it exposed the whole scam!
@Dave Callaghan: What scam? Nuclear and renewables were never claimed to be able to fully replace gas. It is much cheaper and cleaner to use gas generation than coal. Without renewables and nuclear, the impact of the Russian gas reduction would’ve been much greater
@087 bed: The ‘quango’ is entirely in your imagination.
@Brendan O’Brien: Brendan. The quango is enabled by the EU, who won’t change how the price of electricity is decided.
Under the rules they dreamed up, the price is decided by whichever is the most expensive at a given time.
Say wind is cheap at the moment and gas is the dearest. The gas price is what is charged for all the electricity.
@Donal Ronan: How come we pay the most for electricity in the E.U. so?
@Brian D’Arcy: Brian. It would be worth your while reading Mario Draghi’s report and what he says about decoupling electricity prices.
The electricity company bosses nearly had heart attacks.
Electricity prices are decided by the dearest at a given time, which is usually gas. Even though gas doesn’t generate as much electricity anymore.
We are stuck with the same EU rules. Hence high prices, which for everything in Ireland is higher.
The wind guys must be laughing.
I love when they say energy security and independence.
Note to new justice minister– we need a huge detention centre built pronto to hold all the illegal immigrants until they can be sent back to wherever they came from. And FFS start enforcing our immigration laws !!!
”Eighty-five percent of people who applied for international protection at Dublin Airport in 2023 arrived without a correct identity document. In total, 4,712 people arrived at Dublin Airport and claimed asylum in 2023; 4,007 had either no or false identity documents” …breaking news.ie 12 August 2024
Were all these unvetted illegals locked up?… No
Less woke politics and more law and order please!!
”State spent €2.5m per day in 2024 to house International Protectction applicants” -breakingnews.ie 2024.
”airlines fined €2.5m in last two years for flying in passengers without travel documents” Irish examiner 2024
That’s an example of open borders woke politics. Rodders and Helen have an awful lot to answer for. I hope Rodders gets no speaking time in the next Dail the git
@Finn Barr: we need an effective robust immigration system. One where is based on those vulnerable and in need of protection. Additionally the numbers who are coming via Belfast and not through an official port of entry into Ireland and rocking up to the justice office to apply for protection with no identification. The department of education and all the “third level” colleges need to be brought to the table, the number of people who are claiming aslyum while also attending a third level college paying third level fees but applying for aslyum and getting free accommodation!
At least we’ve no more Tweeting Roderic, inviting the dregs of the 3rd world here and it looks like the days of Helen McEntee handing out Irish citizenships like confetti are over, thank phuk.
Michael Healy Rae for the climate job (just to piss off the Greens)
@Dave Callaghan: i think Danny for that portfolio would piss the greens off even more.We might even get the gas storage plant at Ballylongford.
Please let Healy ray be in charge of energy. Pleeeeeease
Not a good time to piśś off our most important trading partner by needlessly involving ourselves in the Gaza/Israel conflict.
Perhaps our new buddies in South Africa can advise on energy policy.
Like us, they cannot run their own country properly, or even keep the lights on, but see fit to interfere in the internal conflict in Israel.
@Thomas Sheridan: South Africa’s energy policy is about 3 hours electricity per day. Then during the blackouts they rob all the copper off the power lines. The natives really made a lovely job of that country since they got it back!!!
This is the South African parliament
@Finn Barr: .https://youtu.be/zP7bsMkIXqo?si=ek8aG9C5XupUE5LG
@Thomas Sheridan: I presume you are talking about the US. The US isn’t our most important trading partner. That’s Europe, and if Israel is brought to book, what harm. I’m equally annoyed with Hamas, etc, but far too many innocents have died during this war and it needs to stop. We have the Israeli Government pulling their Embassy, we’ve had our soldiers( peacekeepers) shot at and harassed by the IDF.
It’s time to end this.
@Thomas Sheridan: So it’s needlessly to speak out about a war where tens of thousands of innocent people are being killed?. So why don’t we stop needlessly getting involved in Ukraine/Russia conflict and the rest of the world conflicts?. Best to stay out of all them and not be selective wouldn’t you say.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Europe isn’t a country, and America is our biggest export market according to the OTB article in today’s Irish Independent.
It also raises the question that I have. Why set ourselves apart from our EU partners in this regard. And for what benefit.
Ireland could have played a more constructive role in the conflict by acting as an independent honest broker rather than a bully to Israel and throwing our lot in with Hamas terrorists.
It simply isn’t our fight.
Its showboating on the international stage and Celtic Tiger type hubris, at a time when we cannot provide housing for our own population.
I note that Ireland is funding new water pipe infrastructure there. Presumably to replace the ones that were dug up to make missiles to be fired at Israeli civilians.
@Finn Barr: it must make the Dunnes Store boycotted really proud
@Enoch Kochwomble: Why should I be told to move to a basket case country for simply expressing a legitimate view that is the same as one of our MEPs today.
Presumably, you would have no problem with the dregs from SA illegally coming here.
Your comment is symptomatic of the Loony Left intolerance to diverse opinions.
FFG may yet rue that they won the election, lots of nasty stuff coming down the track!
@Brian Hunt: Like what? I’m not saying there’s only sunshine and lollipops awaiting us but I would like get read what people think.
As long as McEntee is out that’s fine.
The one glaring issue is getting the likes of Fisheries, Forests and Wildlife into one Dept, like in North America, the very first move being to amalgamate IFI and NPWS and probably EPA as well. At present they are being deliberately held toothless.
Also it will virtually need a new Dept. to oversee getting rid of that asine “no Nuclear” leglislation and planning for achieving our Climate oblgations before we end up paying vast sums to the French on one hand and loosing a large whack of Big Tech and their Data on the other.
I would like to think that Mr.Martin and Mr.Harris have discussed the next US Ambassador?
Make Kilgarvan Great Again
Big task to repair Ireland Energy infrastructure after years of mismanagement by Chief Muppet Ryan.
have your say