Opinion: Turn on the floodlights: Why grassroots sport deserves our backing - Kilkenny TD
Investment at grassroots is an investment in stronger communities and healthier people , writes TD Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere
One of my favourite sights is driving through the countryside on a dark winter evening and seeing the floodlights of a local sports ground shining in the distance.
You know exactly what’s happening. Children are training after school. Coaches are giving up another evening of their own time. Parents are standing on the sideline with a cup of tea. Volunteers are opening gates, organising equipment and making sure everything runs smoothly.
To most people, it’s just another training session. To me, it’s the heartbeat of rural Ireland.
Our sports clubs are about far more than winning championships. They are places where confidence is built, friendships are formed and communities stay connected. For countless young people, they provide routine, purpose and somewhere they feel they belong. That sense of belonging has never been more important.
The Central Statistics Office tells us that almost one in three young people aged between 16 and 24 experiences loneliness at least some of the time. While there is no single answer to that challenge, local sports clubs are one of the strongest assets any community has. They bring people together across every age group, teaching teamwork, resilience and respect while creating friendships that often last a lifetime.
That’s why investment in grassroots sport is not a luxury. It is an investment in healthier people, stronger communities and a more connected society.
The Community Sports Facilities Fund has been central to that success. Since 1998, it has supported more than 19,000 projects across Ireland with investment of more than €1.4 billion. Those numbers are impressive, but the real story isn’t found in the figures.
It’s the dressing room where a nervous youngster pulls on their jersey for the first time. It’s the floodlights that allow training to continue through long winter evenings. It’s the upgraded pitch that means a child can play safely every weekend. It’s the walking track used every morning by older members of the community.
These aren’t simply sports facilities. They are community facilities.
Last year over €270 million was allocated to over 3000 sporting organisations right across the country , we’ve seen firsthand what that investment can achieve. Every one of those projects represents volunteers who dared to think bigger for their community.
But our work isn’t finished.
Participation in women’s sport has never been stronger, yet too many clubs still lack the facilities to properly support that growth.
No girl should feel like an afterthought because suitable changing rooms or basic amenities were overlooked. If participation is increasing, our investment must increase with it.
We also owe it to volunteers to make funding easier to access. Across Ireland, thousands of people willingly give up evenings and weekends to coach teams, organise fixtures, maintain pitches and keep clubs running. They shouldn’t have to battle unnecessary bureaucracy just to improve facilities for their communities. Simplifying the application process is a practical reform that recognises the enormous contribution these volunteers already make.
Looking ahead, the next round of the Community Sports Facilities Fund which is opening this month offers another opportunity for clubs to invest in their future. I would encourage every eligible club and community organisation to prepare well, engage with the process and make the strongest case possible for their community. These investments will continue shaping Irish sport for decades to come.
When we talk about investing in infrastructure, we often think of roads, bridges or public buildings. We should think about sports clubs in exactly the same way.
They improve physical health. They support mental wellbeing. They reduce isolation. They strengthen communities. They create safer places for young people to grow and develop.
Few public investments deliver so much for so many.
We are currently in the midst of glorious summer sunshine in Ireland with. In a couple of months we will be back to the dark and the wind and the rain. But the next time you drive past a pitch lit up under floodlights on a cold evening, take a moment to look again. Those lights don’t simply illuminate a field. They illuminate volunteers who ask for little in return. They illuminate children discovering confidence. They illuminate communities at their very best.
If we want stronger communities tomorrow, we must continue backing the clubs that strengthen them today.
That’s why turning on the floodlights means so much more than switching on the lights. It means investing in people, in community and in the future of Ireland.
Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere is a Carlow-Kilkenny TD and Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Affairs