Fingal County Council Sports Office welcomes €330K government funding of local community cricket

(Pictured above is the Hills Cricket Club, Milverton, Skerries. Pictured credit Matt Smith Cricket Leinster)

Fingal County Council Sports Office has welcomed the announcement of multiple Fingal-based cricket clubs achieving over €330,000 in government grants from the “Sports Capital and Equipment Programme”.

This was part of an overall package announced of €150 million in new capital grants allocated to almost 1,900 applications nationwide including substantial funding for the Fingal region.

Fingal-based cricket clubs were comfortably the most successful cricket clubs in Leinster with grants awarded.

North County, Rush, Swords, Tyrrelstown and The Hills secured over €180,000 to invest into improving facilities to inspire even greater community use, and in Balbriggan Cricket Club’s case, a €148,500 grant towards a much-needed indoor cricket centre to serve the needs of the cricketing community 365 days a year.

Niall McGuirk, Senior Sports Officer with Fingal County Council was delighted to see passionate Fingal community clubs achieving such invaluable grants.

“Congratulations from all of the sports development team to the Fingal cricket clubs for achieving such invaluable funding to support your excellent projects to build back stronger than before the pandemic,” he said.

“We look forward to visiting all of our cricket clubs in the summer to see the improvements and to hear more about your ongoing projects in your local communities”.

Brian O’Rourke, Cricket Development Manager for Fingal, noted that the funding was the next step in building stronger and even more engaging cricket clubs in Fingal.

“The funding pays the greatest credit to the volunteers at those clubs who have passionately committed to our goal in Fingal building a stronger community after the pandemic, and who have been recognized by the government, as worthy of the funding they requested”.

“I hope these grants will encourage even more clubs in Fingal to consider their development plans, to work with the Fingal County Council team, and to submit for grants, as the funding available as you can see is significant from the government”.

For more information on cricket in Fingal please contact Brian O’Rourke at [email protected]

Organisation                                    Project Title                                                                             Grant Allocation €

Balbriggan Cricket Club                Indoor Cricket Centre                                                                       148,500

The Hills Cricket Club                    Upgrade Clubhouse and training facilities                                  22,743

North County Cricket Club           NCCC’s batting cage, mower & safety net application               48,804

Rush Cricket Club                          Ground replacement and repair works                                         47,778

Swords Cricket Club                      Practice pitches with cages                                                               48,046

Tyrrelstown Cricket Club              Sports Capital and Equipment Program                                      16,588

TOTAL 332,459

Substantial funding was provided under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme to a wide range of successful applicants from sports clubs and organisations in the Fingal region including for multi sports facilities and a range of sports clubs including GAA, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis and Golf and many more.