A total of 45 sporting clubs in Galway city and county are to benefit from grants totalling €1,722,500 from the Department of Arts, Sports, and Tourism.
Our Lady’s Boy Club Ltd will receive €120,000, Ahascragh/Fohenagh Hurling Club €100,000, Skehana Community Development €100,000, Kilnadeema Leitrim GAA Club €90,000, while Ballinasloe GAA Club and Oughterard AFC will each receive €80,000.
Kilbeacanty GAA Club will get €75,000 while Tuam Stars GAA Club, Loughrea Rugby Football Club, and the Ballinasloe Show Ltd will each get €70,000.
Grants totalling €60,000 will go to the Milltown GAA Club, Mullagh GAA Club, Mervue United AFC, and Abbeyknockmoy Hurling Club. Killyan Dev Association is to get a grant of €55,000.
Galway City Council and Corrib Rangers, Shiven Rovers AFC, Dunmore Community Sports Group, and Connemara Rugby Football Club will each get grants of €50,000.
The Killannin Community Centre will get €40,000, Dynamo Blues AFC €35,000, and Killimordaly, Annaghdown, and Headford GAA clubs will get €30,000 each.
Grants of €20,000 will go to the Clonberne Community Centre Co Ltd, Naomh Feichin GAA Club Clifden, Galway City Council - Westside Community Centre, Galway Bay Sailing Club, Cumann Fothoinn na Gaillimhe, and Galway Rowing Club.
Grants of €10,000 will go to the Loughrea Tennis Club, Sylane Hurling Club, Portumna & District Angling Association, and NUI, Galway, Boat Club.
The Renmore Gymnastics Club will get €7,000, while grants of €5,000 will go towards the Galway Lawn Tennis Club, Galway Kayak Club, Renmore Judo Club, and Cortoon Badminton Club.
The Galway Boxing Club, Loughrea Boxing Club, and Greenfields Hockey Club will each receive €4,000. The Oranmore Maree Camogie Club will get €2,500, while the Cleggan/Claddaghduff Foroige Club, Monivea Boxing Club, and Maree Acrobatics Club will each get €2,000.
Galway East TD Noel Treacy has welcomed the grants saying investment in sporting clubs and organisations is “essential for our rural communities”.
“Local clubs provide a vital focus for the community,” he said, “bringing people together while encouraging a lifetime commitment to sport and fitness for children.”
He encouraged those clubs which did not receive funding to apply to the Department of Arts Sports and Tourism for their score sheet. Each application is scored and the results will allow local clubs to see where their application can be strengthened for next year.
Dep Tracy added: “I would urge any disappointed clubs to contact me so we can begin this progress and hopefully have a better result for next year.”
