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Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced a significant investment of over €11.4 million to fund 264 projects across Rural Ireland as part of the 2024 CLÁR Programme. This funding is aimed at enhancing local sports and recreational facilities, community centres, and outdoor spaces, providing a boost to rural communities nationwide.
The investment will support the development of sports and outdoor facilities such as playgrounds, astro-turf pitches, running tracks, and spectator stands. It will also be used to refurbish community centres and local halls, giving them a new lease of life. There will be a focus on supporting schools through the improvement of play areas, as well as developing green spaces, sensory gardens, and biodiversity areas. Several Tidy Towns groups are also set to benefit from the funding.
Minister Humphreys expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative, stating:
“This funding will improve the lives of families living in Rural Ireland.”
Among the successful projects is Castlehaven GAA in County Cork, which will receive €50,000 for the resurfacing of its running and walking track. This will provide much-needed improvements to the facilities used by local sports teams and community members for fitness and leisure activities.
Other notable projects receiving funding include upgrades to playgrounds, community walking tracks, sensory gardens, and biodiversity-focused initiatives, all aimed at fostering community engagement and enhancing quality of life in rural areas.
Minister Humphreys highlighted the bottom-up approach of the programme, acknowledging the role of local volunteers and community groups in spearheading these projects:
“The projects we are funding today are based on a bottom-up approach; ideas and proposals that have come directly from communities on the ground. From playgrounds and sports facilities to sensory gardens and community halls – these projects will make a really positive difference in towns and villages throughout Rural Ireland.”
This announcement builds on the €2.1 million allocated in September for community groups under the CLÁR programme, bringing the total investment in 2024 to over €13.5 million, supporting more than 310 projects. Additional funding for island communities will be announced in the coming weeks.
Since its reintroduction in 2016, the CLÁR programme has delivered over €72 million in funding for nearly 2,450 projects, reaffirming the government’s commitment to revitalising rural Ireland under the “Our Rural Future” policy.