The Shannonside Region is to receive over two and a half million euro from the Department of Rural Development. The funds announced this afternoon are part of the Town and Village Funding Scheme which aims to tackle vacancy and dereliction among other focuses.
The €2,562,600 will be split between 8 projects across Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford. Roscommon has seen the highest allocation locally, with €1,00,000 to be spent on three sites in the county. €500,000 will be injected into the Plots Town Park project in Ballaghaderreen, a green space, children's play area and skate park with outdoor equipment. The 'Putting the Heart Into Monksland' project in South Roscommon and a public amenity area in Castleplunkett will each see €250,000 funding boost.
In Longford, close to €400,000 will be used to help develop a special needs playground at the site of the former Greyhound Track, with the project also entailing a connection to the adjacent Royal Canal. €250,000 will be allocated for renovations to a community building for a social enterprise project in Edgeworthstown and €190,000 for a community park with sensory equipment in Ballinalee. In Leitrm, A half a million euro will be ringfenced to develop a community/youth arts facility, using a town centre building at risk of dereliction, with €250,000 also heading to a project in Manorhamilton. Nationally, €20 million was announced by Rural Development Minister Heather Humphries for the initiative today.
