Our Rural Future: Minister Humphreys announces €21.5 million for 27 landmark regeneration projects nationwide

Old Schools, Cinemas, Courthouses and Vacant Buildings to be transformed into Remote Working Hubs, Creative Studios, Visitor Centres, Museums, Libraries, Enterprise, Heritage and Community Spaces
Strong focus on combatting dereliction, increasing the vibrancy of our towns and villages and attracting people back to Rural Ireland
Multi-million euro investment to bring ambitious regeneration and economic development projects to full readiness

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced €21.5 million for 27 landmark regeneration projects in rural communities across the country.

The funding, under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF), is being invested in projects that will rejuvenate town centres, drive economic growth and footfall, combat dereliction, develop pedestrian zones and outdoor spaces and boost tourism in Rural Ireland.

A number of the projects approved for funding involve the re-purposing of old, derelict and historical buildings into modern-day remote working hubs, as well as enterprise, cultural and community facilities.

The funding being announced today will bring these projects through the development stage and to the point where they are ready to commence works.

Announcing the funding for the 27 projects, Minister Humphreys said:

“In 2022, we will continue to roll-out unprecedented levels of investment in Rural Ireland – making our towns and villages even better places to live, work, raise a family and run a business. Today’s announcement is proof of our strong commitment to supporting our rural communities both economically and socially. The projects being invested in represent the huge ambition that underpins ‘Our Rural Future’ and will have a truly transformational impact right across the country. When complete, these projects will leave a lasting difference on these locations for generations to come, benefitting tens of thousands of families in Rural Ireland.”

The successful projects announced today are Category 2 Projects. Projects funded under Category 2 are those that require significant development before they reach the stage of being shovel ready.

The projects receiving funding include:

Edenderry Regeneration Phase II, Co. Offaly - €2.15 million: This significant investment will turn a major derelict site in the town centre into a state-of-the-art community centre, providing for a community library, as well as leisure and cultural facilities.
Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim - €596, 290: A landmark project that will see two high-profile buildings in the town centre – including a former Bank of Ireland building re-purposed as the Exchange Smart Working Hub and Creative Studios, providing remote working and creative spaces. The project will create access to the town backlands for recreation and business use, and also includes the carrying out of design works for the People’s Park.
Dungarvan Digital Transformation Hub, Co. Waterford - €1.39 million: This project will see the renovation of three town centre buildings into a Digital Transformation Hub - delivering office, training and innovation workspace for almost 200 people.
Listowel, Co. Kerry: ‘Where Story Begins’ - €729,304: This major project involves the renewal of the town square, as well as the provision of a multifunctional co-working, tourism, heritage and cultural building. It also involves the connection of the North Kerry Greenway into the heart of the town and the repurposing of under-utilised units in the town centre as enterprise spaces.*
Oldcastle Town Centre, Co. Meath - €854,502: This project will see major public realm upgrades to the town square, as well as the transformation of the vacant Fairgreen area into a new plaza and bowling green.
Borris-in-Ossary, Co, Laois - €212,000: This project involves the renovation and re-use of the historic courthouse building as a remote working and community facility.
‘Granard Destination Town’, Co. Longford: €1.11 million: This project involves the development of a multi-use open space and parkland, as well as public realm enhancements - increasing connectivity and reducing congestion in the town centre.
Rathvilly, Co. Carlow - €222,000: ‘Vision Rathvilly’ involves the development of a village regeneration project in Rathvilly, involving a multi-purpose hub in a former school premises that will provide social, cultural, economic and community facilities.
Gort, Co, Galway - €798,000: The G’ort Inse Guaire’ project involves the re-design of the Market Square and town centre streets and will reinvigorate Canon Quinn Park, a greenspace in the town centre.
Nenagh, Co. Tipperary - €1.2 million: The Rialto Digital and Enteprise Hub will replace a disused cinema in the town. The plans will see the re-development of a brownfield site behind the hub, a new streetscape and will explore the potential provision of town centre housing and a new public amenity.
Callan, Co. Kilkenny - €862,000: This project is focussed on the regeneration of the historic core of Callan Town and will re-develop existing historical buildings to provide a library, youth, community, arts space and a remote working hub.
Buncrana, Co Donegal - €1.17 million: ‘Repowering Buncrana’ will strengthen the shore front, enhance walking and cycling facilities , provide quality shore front amenities and integrate art and biodiversity into the urban landscape.

A full list of the successful projects is available here

Commenting further on the funding announcement, Minister Humphreys added:

“The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, along with the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Fund, is delivering unprecedented levels of investment to rural communities. This Fund alone has now delivered €277 million in funding for 191 projects worth a total of €374 million. I’m particularly pleased to see that so many projects being supported today will provide remote working opportunities for tens of thousands of people. Remote Working is the now very much part of the fabric of Rural Ireland due to Covid-19. By continuing to invest in remote working facilities - by turning old, run-down buildings into digital hubs, we will ensure more of our young people can work and live in their own community.”

Today’s announcement relates to Category 2 of the Fund which provides seed funding for strategic, large-scale projects which will assist in delivering town and village regeneration and economic and enterprise development.

The funding provided will enable the development of these projects to a high standard and get them to a point where they are ready to commence works. The funding also ensures a continuing ready-made pipeline of projects which can be progressed in the future with the support of the Fund or other funding streams.

The applications for funding were subjected to a comprehensive assessment process by the Department, with oversight provided by an independent Project Advisory Board, made up of representatives drawn from key Government Departments along with external independent experts.

Further details of the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund are available here .

ENDS

Notes for editors:

Rural Development Investment Programme

The Department of Rural and Community Development’s Rural Development Investment Programme includes a number of integrated funding interventions:

• Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF)

• Town and Village Renewal Scheme

• CLÁR

• Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme

• Local Improvement Scheme

• LEADER

• Walks Scheme

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund was established to deliver on the National Strategic Objective in the National Development Plan of Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities. The Fund is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The Fund provides investment to support suitable projects in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas, which will deliver on the National Strategic Objective of Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities and achieve sustainable economic and social development in these areas.

Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories. Category 1 relates to projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place and which are ready to proceed, while Category 2 projects are those which required further development to become ready for Category 1 status.

The successful projects being announced today relate to Category 2.

To date, the Fund has now provided €277m for 191 projects across Ireland, worth a total of €374m.

The Department’s new rural development policy, Our Rural Future, was launched in March 2021. The policy is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in decades. The funding from the RRDF is provided to further the aims of Our Rural Future, which highlighted the need to build strongly on existing investment and to strive for even greater ambition to achieve significant and rapid progress on the objective of balanced regional development.

Our Rural Future

Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas.