Clubs and projects benefit from grants

Sports Grants : Grants totalling more than €21 million are to be paid out to 78 sports clubs and projects around the country…

Sports Grants: Grants totalling more than €21 million are to be paid out to 78 sports clubs and projects around the country to improve facilities.

Among those to benefit at a national level are the FAI and IRFU, the Punchestown Three-Day Event along with dozens of rugby, soccer and GAA clubs.

The biggest single payment of €1.5m went to Tullamore Sports and Leisure Centre, €1.25m was awarded to UCD sports department while €1m was paid to Dublin City Council to develop Le Fanu Park in Ballyfermot.

The grants come a month after €53m was paid out to other clubs and sports projects.

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John O'Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, said major advances have been made in the last few years in developing facilities of strategic significance at key locations throughout the country.

"We now have a network of top-notch facilities, catering for a wide range of disciplines, which are designed to meet the training, coaching and competition needs of competitive players and athletes and of world-class elite individuals and squads," he said.

The money is divided up into smaller grants to help dozens of clubs each year under the Sports Capital Programme administered by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.