Over €700,000 in grant funding awarded to Westmeath sports clubs
Sports clubs in Westmeath have been allocated €730,000 in grant funding towards the purchase of equipment, it was announced today (Thursday).
And in neighbouring Roscommon, a sum of just over €400,000 was awarded to clubs for the same purpose, bringing the total for the two counties to €1.13 million.
In South Westmeath, one of the big winners was Moate All Whites GAA Club, which was awarded €70,000 for "gym fitout, dugouts, storage unit and goalposts".
The Moate Ladies LGFA was also successful in its grant application, receiving €26,450 towards sports equipment and a storage container.
Ballymore GAA, meanwhile, was given just under €40,000 for a "Ballymore GAA Club / Fr Dalton's Hurling Club mower."
In addition, Lough Ree Yacht Club was funded to the tune of €25,165, for additional safety equipment and the replacement of some existing safety equipment.
Also in the wider Athlone area, funding was granted to AC Celtic AFC, Athlone Athletics Club, Athlone Basketball Club, Athlone Hockey Club, Ballinahown FC, Athlone Gymnastics Club, Monksland United FC, and several others (see full list of Westmeath and Roscommon recipients towards the bottom of this article).
The grant funding was announced today by the Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne, as part of a record overall allocation of €26 million nationally.
Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy welcomed the announcement, saying: "It is fantastic to see the time and effort put in every week by club members and volunteers in Westmeath being rewarded with this grant funding.
"I am pleased to have worked very closely with a number of the clubs involved in putting together applications, and subsequently arranging for clubs to meet with Minister Byrne to put forward their case for funding.
"The grants will go towards funding critical equipment and upgrades for clubs, such as pitch redevelopments and the purchase of gym equipment."
Westmeath Fine Gael Minister Peter Burke also welcomed today's announcement, saying: "This funding will benefit 26 clubs in Westmeath. Active engagement in sports not only helps keep people healthy, but it also builds confidence, independence and promotes team building.
"We can see from the list of clubs that there is a wide variety of sports available now including GAA, Sailing, Hockey, Athletics, Gymnastics and Boxing, and I commend the clubs who put the grant applications together, which can take time and effort," said Minister Burke.
He added that work would now begin on assessing the sports capital funding applications, with these allocations set to be announced later in the year.
Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) Funding in Westmeath:
AC Celtic AFC: Equipment - Lawnmower, Pitch Liner & Goalposts. €15,500
Athlone Athletics Club: Equipment Investment Plan for Athlone AC Juvenile. €2,970
Athlone Basketball Club: Equipment and first aid for training and games. €8,592
Athlone Hockey Club: 2023 AHC Hockey equipment. €12,287
Ballinahown FC: Purchase dugouts and non-personal training equipment, €14,158.
Ballymore Gaelic Football Club: Ballymore GAA Club / Fr Dalton' s Hurling Club mower. €39,554
Castletown Geoghegan Camogie Club: Equipment shed and storage cages. €10,402
Coole Whitehall Community Games: €2,639
Delvin Sports and Leisure Centre Ltd: Grass Mowing Equipment (multi-sport). €25,660
Drumraney Camogie Club: Equipment and goalposts. €5,813
Goldsmith Girls Ladies Gaelic Football Club: Sports equipment. €13,216
Lough Ree Yacht Club: Add to and replace existing safety equipment. €25,165
Midland Triathlon Club: Training and water safety equipment. €3,794
Moate All Whites GAA Club: Gym fitout, dugouts, storage unit and goalposts. €70,000
Moate Ladies LGFA: Sports equipment and storage container. €26,450
Mullingar Canoe Polo Club: €74,800
Mullingar Gymnastics Club: Keeping teenage girls in gymnastics. €28,103
Mullingar Sailing Club: Safety boat and sail training dinghies. €28,876
Mullingar Sub Aqua Club: Boat and trailer purchase. €79,275
Mullingar Weightlifting Club: Olympic weightlifting community development. €41,255
Olympic Boxing Club Mullingar: Sports equipment. €13,610
St Mary's Scouts (Athlone): Purchase of camping gear (box trailer and tents). €15,912
Streamstown Tidy Village: Mower for Old Rail Amenity Area in Streamstown. €14,000
Westmeath GAA County Board: Purchase of Robotic Lawnmower. €38,424
Westmeath Minotaurs American Football club: Equipment. €10,615
Mullingar Harriers Athletic Club 2023: Phase 2 equipping hub facilities. €110,000
Westmeath Total: €731,070
Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) Funding in Roscommon:
Athlone Gymnastics Club: Gymnastics equipment. €12,000
Ballaghaderreen GAA Club: Tractor and mower, defibrillator and gym equipment. €42,408
Ballinameen GAA: Maintenance equipment and creation of gym. €57,236
Castlerea Cycling Club: Indoor cycling programme equipment. €7,401
Coman's Swimming Club: €7,143
Four Roads Ladies Football Club: Equipment, gear and jerseys. €13,576
Fuerty GAA Club: Purchase of equipment. €35,220
Kilbride Community Centre CLG: Upgrade of gym equipment. €42,138
Kilbride GAA Club: Specialised flooring and gym equipment. €70,000
Monksland United Football Club: Purchase of portable equipment. €18,807
Roscommon Athletics Club: Sports equipment and shelter. €9,945
Roscommon Sports Partnership: Cycling For All. €4,890
Roscommon Sub Aqua Club: Purchase of compressor with nitrox membrane. €42,198
Roscommon United FC: Team development and portable equipment initiative. €11,457
Western Gaels GAA Club: Main pitch and grass cutting machinery upgrades. €29,026
Roscommon Total: €403,445