Clubs and community get €330k grant boost
By Aideen O'Flaherty
FIVE local sports clubs and facilities received confirmation that they will get funding totalling €330,900 from the 2018 Sports Capital Programme. This was the first round of funding for resubmitted applications previously deemed invalid, but corrected and resubmitted.
Lucan Sarsfields GAA Club received the highest level of funding at €150,000, for the enhancement of the club’s playing surfaces.
The sports facilities at Kilnamanagh AFC
Aidan Glover, PRO of Lucan Sarsfields, told The Echo: “The funding will have a huge impact on the club.
“It will enhance our playing surfaces and will cater for the growing numbers in the club.”
Tallaght football club Kilnamanagh AFC received a grant of €114,000 for the extension of their all-weather pitch.
John Murphy, the development officer of Kilnamanagh AFC, told The Echo that the funding will “facilitate more of our teams on the all-weather pitch.
“Now we have 30 teams who want to use the all-weather pitch, but when we started we had 18 teams.
“There will be better quality facilities, and more facilities will be available.”
Lucan Sarsfields GAA Club
Mr Murphy added that the all-weather pitch extension is the first phase of plans for the club, as it is hoped that they will be able to extend their training facilities in the near future so that seven-a-side matches can be held.
Elsewhere, Bushido Martial Arts in Clondalkin received a grant of €11,000 for a sports equipment upgrade, €6,400 was granted to Ballyfermot’s Cherry Orchard Community Centre for sports equipment, while the equipment for Templeogue College’s swimming pool will be replaced and enhanced with a grant of €49,500.
Under the 2018 Sports Capital Programme, for the first time applicants who were invalid under the previous round in 2017 were invited to correct their applications, rather than having to make completely fresh applications.
Nationally, 186 groups took up this opportunity and over 90 per cent of these groups will now receive a grant from the government under the SCP.
