The upgrading of Thomond Park in Limerick and the Tallaght Stadium project in Dublin are among the main beneficiaries of this year’s reduced sports capital grant programme.
The €50 million total allocation for 682 projects represents a significant reduction on last year’s €85 million allocation reflecting the new climate of cutbacks.
The redevelopment of Thomond Park, which is due open in November, was granted €3 million in funding.
The proposed stadium for Tallaght, which is at the early stage of construction, receives €2.75 million.
Rathmines Sport and Leisure Centre in Dublin and Roscrea Leisure Centre in Tipperary both received €1 million.
Dublin received the biggest allocation of any county with €13.8 million, followed by Limerick with €4.6 million and Cork with €4.48 million.
There is also €18.3 million to sports such as tennis, athletics, swimming, handball, judo, volleyball and to community or multi-sports centres that can accommodate sport and other activities.
The grants, which are part-funded by the National Lottery and administered by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, are also funding 17 boxing clubs across the country to buy new sports equipment and improve their gyms.
A total of €725 million has been allocated in sports capital funding since 1998 - €107 million of which has gone towards the redevelopment of Croke Park.
Unveiling the programme in Dublin today, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen said: “Every pitch that is laid, every changing room that is built and every piece of sport equipment bought, will allow more people to take part in a huge range of sports and help them to achieve their full potential in their chosen sport.”
Mr Cullen said: “This investment has transformed the Irish sporting landscape with improved facilities in virtually every village, town and city.”
He said: “These allocations will also help in the provision of pitches, the building and fitting out of dressing rooms and club houses and the installation of floodlighting for soccer, hockey, rugby and GAA clubs across the country. Every single county will benefit.”
