Sports stadia get £3.5m boost

The Minister for Sport, Jim McDaid, has announced a £3.5m windfall for GAA, soccer and rugby grounds throughout Ireland.

Sixteen sporting organisations will benefit directly from the additional grant aid, with Pearse Stadium in Galway getting £650,000 and the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick £500,000.

Shamrock Rovers Football Club will also receive £500,000 towards its new home in Tallaght, while the Connacht branch of the IRFU will receive £250,000 for the development of the Galway Sportsgrounds.

Minister McDaid has now given more than £105m to more than 2,000 sporting projects since 1998.

With today's grant aid included, the total funding provided this year under the Sports Capital Programme is £431.5m, which was shared between almost 700 different projects.

Speaking today, Mr McDaid said Ireland's current climate is an exciting one for sport.

He added that Sports Campus Ireland, although costly, is a far-sighted concept that will serve to establish Ireland's place in the sporting world.