A RECORD: €4 million of sports grants allocated to Laois clubs and organisations

Laois sports clubs and organisations are set to receive a €4 million windfall of new grants after confirmation of the allocation of funds from the Sports Capital Programme under the Sports Capital and Equipment programme and Regional project funding programme.

A record amount of funding, €3,317,114, has been approved for Laois clubs/organisations under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme while an additional €663,272 of regional sports grants has also been confirmed.

In total, 55 clubs/organisations in Laois will benefit directly from these grants. This too is a record number of grant beneficiaries.

The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme is the Government’s primary vehicle for providing support to sports clubs and communities to develop sports infrastructure around the country to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment.

The first round of funding under this Programme for equipment only was announced last August with 20 Laois Organisations being allocated funding at that time.

Laois Offaly Education and Training Board and Laois County Council will get the two biggest grants from the regional funds announced.

LOETB is getting €300,000 for a regional hockey pitch at Dunamase College which will have a multi-sport use. The pitch will be laid beside the new school planned off the Timahoe Road in Portlaoise.

Laois County Council is getting €300,000 for multi-sport gym equipment/accessibility upgrade.

The Regional programme will see Laois GAA  get €63,272 for a ball wall and maintenance mover for Gaelic games facilities.

From the €3,317,114 of county funding, 11 Laois sporting clubs will receive over €100,000.

Mountrath Community forum CLG leading the way with €150,000 to provide universal access to their facilities, refurbishment of their toilets and other upgrades. The money will be spent on facilities at BloomHQ which is located in the former Brigidine Convent secondary school where sports facilities are used by the community.

Laois County Council have been granted €143,135 for refurbishment of dressing rooms while reigning Laois senior hurling champions, Clough Ballacolla have been awarded €142,361 to be used for the construction of new pitches for both adult and juvenile players.

Portlaoise GAA have will receive €132,224 to upgrade their drainage to existing pitches while the LOETB have secured 124,626 euro for the installation of a new artificial surface.

Mountmellick GAA have received €123,000 for development while St Aengus soccer club will have €120,856 to work with to help them build a new clubhouse.

Thee local GAA clubs have secured just over €113,000 each with Portarlington planning on refurbishing their sports hall and upgrading their floodlights.

The Heath will use the money for a walking track, pitch upgrades and gym equipment while Ballyroan Abbey will be improving the drainage and carrying out pitch maintenance with their €113,000.

The final organisation to break the €100,000 mark is Kildare and Leighlin Diocesan Trust who will receive €102,000 for a new Astro Turf facility at St Colmans NS.

 The full list of recipients can be seen below

The otal funding approved for Sports Capital Grants for projects in Laois to €3,980,386.

Minister of State with responsibility for Sport, Jack Chambers T.D., highlighted the huge number of grantees and the wide variety of sports funded: 

 “Anybody involved in sport at local level knows the importance of the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme. I am delighted that today’s announcement represents the highest level of funding ever provided for any round of the Programme. 

 “As well as the major field sports, funding is being provided to tennis clubs, cricket, boxing, kayaking, wheelchair sports and martial arts to name just some. It is great to see crowds back at big sporting events in recent weeks but our key focus is to get as many people participating as possible. Covid revealed to us all the importance of community and I am particularly pleased that so many community centres and organisations have been allocated funding to develop projects in towns and villages across the country. If we want to achieve our participation targets, we must provide high quality facilities and that is what today’s announcement is all about. 

 “As well as grants to local clubs, I am also delighted that we are providing over €17m for projects deemed to be of “regional” significance. Amongst these grantees are a number of GAA County Boards, National Governing Bodies of Sport and Local Authorities.”