Former Edenderry councillor takes the helm at Offaly Local Development Company

Former Edenderry Area County Councillor Robert McDermott was elected as Chairperson of Offaly Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) at its June meeting.

The LCDC was established under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 for the purposes of developing, co-ordinating and implementing a coherent and integrated approach to local and community development.

Functions of the Local Community Development Committee are to:

* Coordinate the management and oversee the implementation of the programmes that have been approved either by the local authority or by agreement between the LCDC and other public bodies.

* Optimise resources for the benefit of local communities and improve the efficiency with which publicly funded local and community development resources are used.

There 19 member Offaly LCDC includes broad representation from public and private interests including business, local development, education, enterprise, agriculture, voluntary, local authority members and statutory interests.

“This is a prestigious and influential Committee in Offaly County Council, and I am honoured to be selected as its chairperson. Even though I am no longer a nouncillor I retain a strong interest in Offaly as a county but especially north Offaly and am committed to supporting my area to receive as much support as possible.

"I would like to congratulate Cllr. John Leahy on the wonderful job he has done as Chair, and I wish him well in his new role as Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council. I would also like to thank Cllr Declan Harvey and Philip O’Brien for proposing me, and I look forward to working with the new vice chair Ms Deirdre Arnold,” said McDermott

Some of the OLDC projects include:

· Completion of works in October 2024 of 26 projects approved under Community Recognition Fund 2023 amounting to €669,691.

· Approval and implementation of Window 1 of the Community Recognition Fund 2024 in the sum of €702,000.

· Funding Roadshows were organised by Offaly PPN and the Community Section in February 2024 and were held in Tullamore, Birr and Edenderry.

· Offaly Sports Partnership secured almost €640,000 in funding to deliver a range of inclusive measures to increase and sustain participation in sport in Offaly.

· Healthy Offaly Actions grew significantly under the Offaly Healthy Ireland Fund.

This list is some of the names of the successful 145 organisations that received funding in Offaly under the Local Enhancement Programme 2025.

Ballinagar Development Association €2,303.00

Ballinagar GAA €1,215.00

Ballycommon Organisation for Local Development CLG €303.00

Ballyfore GAA €912.00

Clonbullogue Development Association €1,078.00

Clonbullogue GAA €912.00

Cloneygowan Celtic FC Soccer Club €303.00

Daingean Canoe Club €912.00

Daingean Community Development CLG €308.00

Daingean Development Association €1,803.00

Daingean Town Hall Committee €953.00

Edenderry Community First Responders €2,400.00

Edenderry Community Garden €1,000.00

Edenderry Community Playground €3,000.00

Edenderry GAA Club €912.00

Edenderry Juvenile Athletics Club €912.00

Edenderry Rugby Club €303.00

Edenderry Women's Shed €1,803.00

Molesworth Bridge Playground Committee Daingean €3,000.00

North Offaly Community Development Network CLG €308.00

Offaly Pony Club €303.00

Rhode Community Preschool Ltd €1,303.00

Offaly Rhode Parish Enterprise €1,803.00

Offaly Rhode Steam and Engineering Club €1,303.00

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