From Department of Rural and Community Development
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Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has today (Friday 1 December) announced almost €5 million in funding to support over 100 sports clubs in rural communities countrywide.
The funding is being provided as part of Our Rural Future, the government’s strategic five-year rural development plan.
Announcing the successful projects, Minister Humphreys said:
“This funding is being provided as part of Our Rural Future and will see investment in important infrastructure projects at 113 local sports clubs across the country.
“This funding is targeted specifically at supporting clubs in rural communities and not surprisingly the vast majority of successful projects are from local GAA clubs. The GAA is at the heart of rural parishes across the country, instilling a strong sense of pride of place, community and belonging in young and old.
“While many of the successful projects are focused on improving playing and training facilities, I also want to improve the experience for local supporters and spectators. For this reason, I put a particular focus on the upgrade of Spectator Stands so that further seating and shelter can be provided to ensure that older people can enjoy games in comfort. Similarly, some projects focus on upgrading local clubhouses and improving access for people with disabilities and mobility issues.”
Examples of successful projects include:
Congratulating the successful projects, Minister Humphreys said:
“I appreciate the time and effort put in every week by local club members and volunteers to make our local communities a better place. I want to congratulate all of the clubs who have been successful in securing funding today and I look forward to seeing work get underway on these projects over the coming months.”
Today’s funding is being provided as part of the CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) programme funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and forms part of the government’s ambitious new five year policy for rural Ireland, Our Rural Future.
The CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) programme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and forms part of the government’s ambitious new five year policy for rural Ireland, Our Rural Future.
CLÁR is a targeted investment programme for rural areas that aims to provide funding for small infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. There are designated CLÁR areas in all counties with the exception of Dublin, Kildare and Wexford.
Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It offers a blueprint for a thriving and inclusive rural Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas.