From left to right, Wesley Keogh, Treasurer, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke, Mayor of Athlone- Moate Municipal District, and Chris Barr, Chairman of Sarsfield Square Residents Association.

Mayor welcomes €47k funding for local playground

Deirdre Verney

Published: Thu 17 Sep 2020, 10:17 AM

Last updated: Thu 17 Sep 2020, 10:25 AM

Sarsfield Square Residents Association has been granted over €47,000 in Leader funding for the redevelopment of their playground.

"I am delighted for the residents of Sarsfield Square, this project has been in the melting pot for over a year. Anyone who has ever been involved in a Leader application knows the commitment and the patience needed to bring it to fruition. The process is long and arduous, culminating in an e-tenders process that is very time-consuming. We would like to give particular thanks to Peter Ormond, Community Development Worker, Westmeath Community Development for his constant guidance and encouragement and genuine interest in supporting and assisting our application. It would not have been possible without him," Mayor Cllr Aengus O'Rourke commented this week.

"While I supported the Residents Association any way I could, the two workhorses were Chairman Chris Barr and Treasurer Wesley Keogh. The time and effort both men put into this project was immense. This work has now paid off with a grant of €47,500 to completely rebuild the playground in Sarsfield Square. The existing playground has been brilliantly maintained by the community with little or no vandalism over all the years. However, it is more than 30 years old and needs to be completely refurbished," said Cllr O'Rourke.

Chairman of Sarsfield Square Residents Association Chris Barr added: "This is great news for our area, it's a lot of money and it will be spent well. The children in Sarsfield Square will now have a modern, safe, and fun place to come - they can enjoy the company of their friends in the fresh air. I would like to thank Cllr Aengus O'Rourke for all his help with this application and Peter Ormond, without their help this would not have happened."

Treasurer of Sarsfield Square Residents Association Wesley Keogh said he "didn't realise the number of hours required to complete a Leader application, but at least I can say it was all worth it!"

“However, we still have more work to do. The playground will cost €50,000 and we have been granted €47,500, so as a community we have to raise €2,500 to complete the job.“