€1.5 million funding announced for 58 Clare sports facilities

EVERYONE in the Banner is going to be channelling their inner ‘Eye of the Tiger’ soon, as Minister Pat Breen has just confirmed €1.5 million worth of funding sports projects across the county.

A grand total of €1,497,000 has been announced under the 2017 Sport Capital Programme for to 58 Clare sport facilities and projects.

Minister Breen said that the grants will assist with constructing and upgrading of outdoor facility spaces, training facilities, all weather pitches and gyms, while also providing much needed sport and safety equipment.

“I would like to congratulate all the clubs who worked so hard to secure funding this year and would encourage others who are planning development projects to avail of this funding in the future,” he added.

West Clare Sports Fitness Club received €48,000 for the construction of an indoor four lane 120m sprint track at their facility in Cooraclare.
Club secretary Dermot Galvin confirmed they are hoping to create something unique for the people of West Clare.

“We’re looking to bring the facilities to a really high level because there’s an awful lot of athletes in West Clare who could potentially do some extraordinary things, but if you don’t have the facilities, it’s very hard to make champions on the track,” he said.

Dermot hopes to have the new facility up and running (pardon the pun) by this time next year.

“We’re just extremely lucky that Joe Garry is willing to give the land for the building of it, so we couldn’t do it first of all without the landowner and secondly people getting behind the project,” he added.

Check out the full list of approved grants: