Limerick village secures €300,000 funding for local community centre

MAURICE O’Connell, current chairperson of Abbeyfeale Community Council says the €300,000 funding to renovate St Ita’s Community Hall in the village is “hugely important”.

The Community Centres Investment Fund was launched by the Department of Rural and Community Development in April 2022 to support community groups with the upgrade and development of their Community Centre facilities.

“We had a meeting and came to the decision that St Ita’s Hall desperately needed a major renovation,” Maurice said.

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“With the funding scheme, there was an opportunity of a lifetime to carry that out.

“Everyone involved in the funding application brought something from their personal and professional lives to the table,” Maurice added.

It took ten weeks to finalise the application according to Maurice and often times phone calls and meetings were held during unsociable hours.

“A lot of work went on in the background and with any application, there is no guarantee that it will succeed,” Maurice mentioned.

“Applications are like a numbers game you just have to keep trying and hope for the best.

“All of the community organisations involved had a background in submitting applications so we were aware of what we had to face,” he added.

St Ita’s Hall was built in 1928 with major repairs needed according to Maurice.

“The roof needs major repairs. All the inside will be taken back to its shell. Although the layout of the facility might have been okay 40 or 50 years ago, it’s not really appropriate for the 21st century,” Maurice said.

The plans for redevelopment involve a whole new layout on the ground and first floors of the community centre.

“This is to make it more accessible and friendly,” Maurice said.

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St Ita’s Community Hall was among nine other community centres to receive funding under the Community Centres Investment Fund.

St Ita’s received the largest amount of funding in the county with €300,000 whilst St Munchin’s Community Centre CLG received €279,846.00 and Murroe Wood Park CLG €206,290.71.

Maurice said the application wouldn’t have been possible without the work of Dearbhla Conlon from West Limerick Resources, Canon Tony Mullins, Parish Priest of Abbeyfeale, Richie Bowens of Foróige West Limerick, and the wider Abbeyfeale community.