Minister McEntee announces 2025 grants from the Shared Island Civic Society Fund
- Published on: 30 December 2025
- Last updated on: 30 December 2025
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, has announced €1.92 million in grant funding from the 2025 round of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund.
Making today’s announcement, the Minister said: “I am delighted to announce funding of almost €2 million from my Department’s Shared Island Civic Society Fund for sixty-four community-based cross-border projects across the island of Ireland.
“This funding will support a wide range of activities, reflecting the diversity of life on this island, from scout troops to theatre groups, local history groups to environmental groups, and many more.
“The Shared Island Civic Society Fund supports cross-border partnerships between grassroots community organisations. Such ground-level connections are vital if we are to have a truly shared island.
“My officials have informed the successful applicants, and I wish them every success with their projects. For those who were not successful this time around, I would encourage you to apply again next year. More information on the Fund is available on gov.ie “.
ENDS
Press Office
30 December 2025
Notes to Editors:
The Shared Island Civic Society Fund is part of the Government’s Shared Island initiative, supporting practical North South cooperation and engagement between civic society groups across a range of sectors and themes consistent with the objectives and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement.
To be eligible for funding, projects are required to have a clear North South dimension, involving cross-border partners collaborating on a project to strengthen North South civic, economic, cultural, and/or political links.
The Shared Island Civic Society Fund has an annual budget of €2 million and average grants are around €30,000 each.
|
Applicant |
Partner |
Project Title |
Amount |
|
9th Westmeath Milltownpass Scout Group |
Skerries 98th Dublin scouts |
Shared Horizons: North–South Scouting Cultural Exchange & Adventure |
€19,450 |
|
Accidental Theatre |
An Grianán Theatre |
Shared Cultures - Northern Borders |
€45,000 |
|
Active Communities Network |
In Sync Youth & Family Services |
A Collective Voice |
€30,000 |
|
AE Society (George Russell) |
The Lurgan and North Armagh George Russell Festival Society |
AE2026 |
€10,000 |
|
All Island World War 1 Relatives group |
The Gallipoli Association and the Western Front Association |
A Shared Island with a Shared History and a Shared memory |
€40,755 |
|
Arts Ekta |
Fidget Feet |
MELA: A Shared Island Journey |
€31,189 |
|
Association of Irish Local Government - represents and supports elected councillors. |
Northern Ireland Local Government Association |
Safe Communities, Shared Futures: Role of Local Authorities in Ending Violence against Women & Girls |
€20,000 |
|
Aughnacloy Development Association |
Blackwater Peace Advocates |
Blackwater Cross Border Peace Advocates Project |
€10,000 |
|
Ballyhoura Development CLG |
Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark |
Connecting Tourism Communities: Cuilcagh Lakelands and Ballyhoura Country |
€25,000 |
|
Basketball Ireland |
Basketball Northern Ireland |
Cross Court |
€15,000 |
|
Belfast Film Festival Ltd |
Cork International Film Festival |
IGNITE-DOCS LASAIR |
€25,000 |
|
Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre |
Óglaigh Náisiúnta Na hÉireann |
Common Ground |
€31,000 |
|
Burrenbeo Trust |
Nature Farming Friendly Network |
An All-Island Festival of Farming, Nature and Food |
€50,000 |
|
Business in the Community Ireland |
Business in the Community Northern Ireland |
Cross-Border Collaboration for Social Mobility through Business-Education Partnerships |
€46,000 |
|
Centre for Cross Border Studies |
|
Sustaining the New Common Charter |
€9,875 |
|
Cluainin Carnival Arts |
Belfast Community Circus School (Circusful) |
Shared Island Samhain Parade |
€34,150 |
|
Comharchumann Forbartha Ghaoth Dobhair |
Coiste Forbartha Charn Tochair |
Ag Fás le Chéile – Strengthening Irish Language ties across the island |
€31,000 |
|
Community Restorative Justice Newry/Armagh - EmpowHER |
Muirhevnamor Youth and Community Project |
Border Women |
€19,800 |
|
Cooley Connect Well |
Louth Growers & Gardeners Collective voluntary Group Co Louth |
Gardening for Nature Louth Armagh & Down |
€12,500 |
|
Cork Learning City, Cork City Council |
Local authorities , Universities , FET , ETB's, North West Tertiary Cluster , SETU, Community based education programmes /projects |
Irish Network of Learning Neighbourhoods |
€50,000 |
|
Cultúrlann Caisleán Ruairí |
Donegal: An Chrannóg cultural and language centre in Gaoth Dobhair and Scoil na Crannóige, |
Ceoldrama na nÓg |
€50,000 |
|
Donegal Railway Restoration CLG (Donegal Railway Heritage Museum) |
Alley Arts and Cultural Centre, Strabane |
Reconnecting Through Culture: A Cross-Border Exploration of Art and Transport Infrastructure |
€7,200 |
|
Dumbworld Ltd (Belfast, North) |
Regional Cultural Centre (RCC), Letterkenny |
Film Scoring School |
€38,945 |
|
Enterprise Causeway Ltd |
Taste Causeway CIC |
Shared Tables: The Donegal–Derry/Londonderry–Causeway Civic Alliance |
€44,750 |
|
Enterprise North West Ltd |
Inishowen Development Partnership |
Cross-Border Community Wealth and Resilience Project |
€29,760 |
|
Falls Community Council |
Lagmore Youth Project, Aspire2Achieve, Youth Work Ireland Louth, Ulster University, University of Galway |
Breaking Borders |
€49,820 |
|
Fibreshed Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee |
Irony Metalworks LTD t/a Mallon Linen |
The Flax Meitheal |
€29,230 |
|
Football Association of Ireland |
The Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) |
2026 All-Island Cup |
€50,000 |
|
Fresh Film |
Northern Ireland Screen |
No Limits |
€50,000 |
|
Haven Horizons |
Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid (WABL) |
All-Island virtual DSGBV Prevention Community of Practice |
€26,000 |
|
Helium Arts |
Children’s Heartbeat Trust and Cancer Fund for Children, |
All Island Youth Participation Forum for young people with lifelong health conditions |
€30,000 |
|
IIEA |
Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE) (Belfast, North) |
All-Island Pathways: Ireland’s Agricultural Future |
€50,000 |
|
Immigrant Council of Ireland |
Show Racism the Red Card UK (SRtRC)(North) |
Show Racism the Red Card - North & South Project - Primary School students aged 10–12 |
€33,000 |
|
Independent Broadcasting Corporation Limited |
LMFM will collaborate with U105 |
Soundings Broadcast Project |
€35,760 |
|
Irish Agroforestry Forum |
Trees on the Land (Green Economy Foundation) |
Shared Island Agroforestry Initiative: Fostering Inclusivity, Diversity, and Sustainable Agriculture |
€25,700 |
|
Irish Pages Ltd (Belfast, North) |
The Centre for Irish Studies (School of Geography, Archaeology, and Irish Studies), University of Galway, |
Shared Environmental Futures: Remembering the Irish Landscape of Tim and Mairéad Robinson |
€9,015 |
|
Irish Seed Savers Association |
Hillsborough Castle , Historic Royal Palaces |
All-Ireland Forum for the Conservation of Irish Heritage Varieties for Food and Agriculture |
€36,870 |
|
LGBT Ireland |
The Rainbow Project Northern Ireland |
All Island LGBTQIA+ Forum |
€49,595 |
|
Longford Women's Link |
WomensTec, Belfast |
Across Borders, Beyond Silence |
€20,000 |
|
Luail Ireland's National Dance Company |
Luail – Ireland’s National Dance Company, |
Resonant Bodies / Shared Sounds: A North-South Residency for Collaboration in New Dance and Music. |
€46,090 |
|
Macha Press Limited - Island of Ireland - Irish and Scottish Gaelic |
Ulster University |
Publishing of two innovative poetry collections |
€10,000 |
|
Meath Travellers workshop |
CRJI Traveller Project (Community Restorative Justice Project) |
Our Language,Our Culture, Our Legacy: Traveller Women Unite |
€33,500 |
|
Mother Tongues |
ArtsEkta |
Deepening the Exchange |
€35,000 |
|
National Women's Council of Ireland |
Belfast Women’s Assembly |
Women’s Economic Lives: Bridging Borders, Sharing Realities |
€50,000 |
|
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council |
Clare county /Geopark office. |
Ecolink: Taste and tourism across the island |
€10,000 |
|
Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment |
WALK, 1 Long Mile Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 22 |
Closing the Gap - Developing Best Practice in Supported Employment across Ireland |
€49,400 |
|
Photo Museum Ireland |
Source Magazine, Nerve Centre Derry |
Seeing Ourselves |
€27,099 |
|
Politics in Action |
Loreto Community School, Milford, Donegal |
Teaching Politcs Together |
€10,000 |
|
Republic of Ireland Walking Football Association (ROIWFA) |
Northern Ireland Walking Football Federation (NIWFF) t |
Health & Happiness through Walking Football |
€16,800 |
|
Road Victim Support NI Donegal |
Donegal Youth Service |
Drive to Arrive Northern Ireland and Donegal Cross Border Initiative |
€10,000 |
|
Royal British Legion - Republic of Ireland |
RBL branches, North and South |
RBL Battle of the Somme Ceremony |
€26,000 |
|
Sligo Concert Band |
Fermanagh Concert Band |
Northwest Cross Border Joint Community Concert Band |
€9,050 |
|
Sporting Pride |
|
Sport for All: Empowering LGBTQ+ Participation and Inclusion Across the Island |
€35,000 |
|
Street Art Link |
Ardscoil na Mara, Tramore |
Floating Voices |
€35,000 |
|
The Bright Umbrella Drama Co. |
Smock Alley |
The Strangers Case |
€35,486 |
|
The Countrywomen's Trust CLG |
Federation of Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland (FWINI). |
Collective Soul of Ireland: the unifying power of heritage crafts |
€46,250 |
|
The Irish Association |
Institute of Public Health, Performance Arts Forum, Co-Operation Ireland, Centre for Cross Border Cooperation, Open University in Ireland. |
North-South Co-Operation |
€18,100 |
|
The Irish Ocean Literacy Network |
Queen's University Belfast |
Shared Island & Ocean: Strengthening Cross-Border Relations - Regional Co-creation & Community dialogue |
€18,000 |
|
The Phoenix Education Centre |
Citywise Education |
Common Threads - Peer learning and leadership for organisational leaders, practitioners/youth workers, and young people. |
€32,000 |
|
The Wheel |
NICVA |
Shared Purpose - Pilot a Toolkit for Cross-Border Collaboration |
€40,000 |
|
Tog Hackerspace |
Farset Labs |
All Island Maker Mobility Project - Connecting Communities Through Making - portable STEM outreach activity aimed at adult learners |
€11,420 |
|
Training for Women Network Ltd |
Community Enterprise Association Ireland (CEAI) |
HACK-HER - Honing Abilities in Cybersecurity Knowledge for HER |
€25,000 |
|
UNTOLD: The Museum Ltd |
Irish Heritage Trust |
Painting Untold Stories: An All-Island Military Education Trail |
€15,143 |
|
Youth Link |
Member churches of youth link |
Bridges of Hope: A Shared Island Youth Work Network |
€45,000 |