Half a million euro in funding granted for Offaly projects

A whopping €500,000 in funding has been granted for two regeneration projects in Offaly under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

The Fairgreen in Ferbane has been granted €250,000 in funding which was welcomed by Cllr John Clendennen.

'This is a project I have worked on in recent months and I was delighted to receive confirmation from Minister Heather Humphreys that an allocation of funding has been secured for this project in Ferbane,” stated Cllr Clendennen.

“Phase one of the project received funding of €200,000 in 2021 also under the Town & Village Renewal Scheme, and this funding allocation of €250,000 for phase 2 will ensure the delivery of a Recreation Amenity and Urban Garden in the heart of the town,” continued Cllr Clendennen.

The local councillor concluded his remarks by recognizing those that have been working on the project. “I want to acknowledge local community groups, the Regeneration Team at Offaly County Council as well as the Area Engineers that have worked tirelessly on this and many other projects across the county over the past number of years. It is great to see their hard work paying dividends and delivering for Offaly, but I equally acknowledge that not every funding application is approved on the first attempt which ultimately shows their perseverance.”

Local election candidate Hughie Egan has also welcomed the funding 'expressing the importance of such funding for the enhancement of public realm in Ferbane and outlined his commitment to ensuring more funding is secured for towns and villages in West Offaly.'

Speaking after the announcement today, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick said “I welcome the announcement of funding under the TVR Scheme for Offaly today. This funding is about helping communities to adapt to ongoing challenges, and it will help make our towns and villages attractive places to live, work and do business. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the communities who engaged with Offaly County Council in order to prepare these projects as it is evident the partnership approach between the Local Authority and Community groups is working well.”

Killeigh Community Centre was also allocated €250,000 to develop an outdoor area around the newly refurbished community centre to facilitate the development of a farmers/artisan market and programming space.

Cllr Neil Feighery welcomed the funding for Killeigh Community Centre, saying: “The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys has delivered again for Offaly with this morning's announcement of €250,000 for Killeigh Community Centre.

“Minister Humphreys confirmed this significant allocation for Killeigh to me this morning. This funding will facilitate the development of an outdoor area and to create a space for a farmers market. Crucially, the committee will now be in a position to complete the outdoor area of the recently completed refurbished community centre.

He added: “I was delighted with the opportunity to visit the centre on Friday evening last where I met with the committee members. The quality of the design and build is exceptional and it is clear that the commitment and determination of this hardworking committee has been worth all the effort. This new centre is going to make a huge difference to the growing community of Killeigh and will serve it for many years to come.”

Minister Heather Humphreys said that she was delighted to approve funding of over €20m under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. “These projects have come from local communities themselves and I am delighted to see such a diverse range of projects ranging from new town parks and playgrounds to the development of farmers markets and outdoor dining spaces.

“I am also pleased to see a number of successful projects which will see vacant and derelict buildings brought back into use and repurposed with community halls and youth centres being provided.”

Offaly County Council, Chief Executive, Anna-Marie Delaney, said “Ferbane and Killeigh are set to benefit from a €500,000 investment today. I would like to congratulate the community groups involved and wish them well on delivering the projects. For those groups that were unsuccessful, I ask you to continue to engage with the various sections in Offaly County Council to avail of all opportunities of funding to deliver your projects.”

Funding is being allocated to deliver 82 projects right across Ireland. The investment is being provided under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme with a particular emphasis on the revitalisation of rural town centres, which is a key objective of the Our Rural Future and Town Centre First Policies.