O’Donoghue announces additional sports grants

TWENTY-ONE sports projects throughout the country have been given an unexpected €10.2 million boost by the Government.

Yesterday, John O’Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, announced that he had made additional funding available under the 2004 Sports Capital Programme.

This funding, he stressed, was in addition to the €50.8m already ear-marked this year for 717 other sports capital projects.

The 21 projects now being funded are in the category of national, regional and municipal facilities.

The projects, the minister said, were of “major strategic significance in sports development and will contribute significantly to the national and regional sporting infrastructure essential for improving standards of performance at national and international level.”

The allocations include €5.8m to eight multi-sport centres and €1.75m for the development of national headquarters and development centres for rowing, hockey and golf.

The minister said a further €2.65m was allocated for regional playing centres for the country’s national games, football, soccer and rugby.

Five GAA county grounds in Offaly, Dublin, Cavan, Sligo and Longford were awarded €1.05m.

And €800,000 was given to three FAI regional soccer development sites at Galway’s Salthill Devon FC, Templeogue United in Dublin and Mayfield United in Cork.

Provincial rugby centres in the Munster RFU and Leinster RFU were also awarded €800,000 to improve grounds.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, Billy Kelleher welcomed the allocation of €300,000 for Mayfield United in the latest sports grants.

“Mayfield has been earmarked as a regional development centre site for soccer in Cork city and will also serve as an important sporting centre in a designated disadvantaged RAPID area,” said Mr Kelleher.