Over €160,000 in grants awarded to numerous Tipperary facilities

The total for grants for the Thurles Municipal District has been approved by the Tipperary County Council.

The budget was approved by the Thurles MD of the Tipperary County Council in their monthly meeting, held on Tuesday, April 23.

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The County Councillors approved community grant payments to the value of € 164,165.

The payments will be split in the following ways:

€41,490 has been allocated to Festivals and Events Grants.

These will include events such as Thurles Circling the Square, which has been allocated €8,000, Fair in the Square, which has been allocated €3,000, and Tipperary Pride, which has been allocated €1,500.

A total of €39,325 has been awarded to Tidy Towns Grants, which includes a €10,500 allocation to Roscrea Tidy Towns, €2,525 being allocated to Templemore Community Development, and €2,000 being allocated to Inch Bouladuff The Ragg Tidy Village.

A €700 grant has been awarded to numerous burial grounds across the county, including Moycarkey Old Burial Ground, St Mary’s Church, Littleton, and Fennor Burial Ground.

The total grant awarded as part of the Burial Ground Grant is €40,600.

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€15,600 has been allocated as part of the Residents Estate Grant.

This will be split amongst many residential areas across the county, including Cluain Glas Residents Association, which will receive €800, Sli na Suire Residents Association, which will receive €700, and Willowmere Drive Residents Association, which will receive €700.

Lastly, €27,150 will be allocated to Sports Clubs Grants.

Many sports and leisure organisations will receive funding as part of this grant, including Thurles Rugby Club, who will receive €700, Blackcastle Templemore Harps, who will receive €750, and Thurles Crokes Athletics Club, who will receive €750.

Approval of the Community Grant payments has been warmly received by Councillors and Council personnel alike, as a welcome recognition of the work that is carried out by the community groups.

Speaking on the awarding of the grants, Cllr Michael Smith, Cathaoirleach of Thurles Municipal District, said: “I am very pleased to say that the Elected Members of Thurles Municipal District have approved Community Grant payments for all the hardworking community and voluntary groups in our District.

“This funding is very much welcomed by the groups and it will help to deliver significant improvements across the rural areas, the villages and the towns of our District.”
Speaking on the Burial Grounds Grants, Cllr Willie Kennedy said he felt the allocation for graveyards was too low in some instances, stating that the workers keep the burial grounds in “tip-top” shape year-round, and that he felt an increase in funding would greatly aid them.

Cllr Sean Ryan backed up Cllr Kennedy, suggesting an increase in some cases to around the €1,000, and stating that the Council would still get a great bang-for-their-buck, were this to happen.

The Councillors were informed that this fell under the environmental section of the budget, which is allocated to the Council solely to pay out.

They were informed that a request could be made in the interests of increasing the budget for 2026.