Government funding of €4.3 million has been allocated by the Government for the construction of the long-awaited community centre in Newcastle.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, was in Galway City on Saturday morning last to confirm the news, with the money coming from a €30 million fund for new-build facilities nationwide.

A further €6 million has been allocated for a new community centre in Coillte Cill Ráinne in Maigh Cuilinn.

Speaking at the funding announcement at Croí House in Newcastle, adjacent to where the new city faciity is due to be built, Minister Humphreys said these centres would be at the heart of community life.

The Newcastle centre, for which planning permission was granted in 2019, will include meeting rooms, outdoor sports facilities and a playground.

Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton (FG), said it and the Maigh Cuilinn centre were “very necessary pieces of infrastructure”.

“It is vital that community groups have access to meeting spaces, advice, information and guidance, educational, social and leisure opportunities and I am therefore delighted to see these projects delivered for the people of Galway,” said the TD for Galway West.

Mayor of Galway City, Cllr Eddie Hoare (FG), who is also a member of the Newcastle Combined Community Association which has spearheaded the community centre project, said this funding was welcome – with City Hall committed to funding the project to completion.

“Following a motion that I proposed, Galway City Council is committed to providing matched funding,” he said. He also acknowledged the contribution of former promoters and directors Bartley Joyce and Tom Kelly, who had passed away but played a pivotal role in the project.

City Councillor Mike Cubbard (Ind) said after 20 years of campaigning, locals were delighted with the news.

“It was only a small part in a big project that has seen politicians across the divide unite from local level and national level and to recognise the trojan work locally as over 20 years of hard work has gone into this project from those in the heart of the area, led by Chairman [of the NCCA], Seamus Davey, who must be congratulated,” he said.

Planning permission is also in place for the Maigh Cuilinn centre, with both projects described by the Department as being “shovel-ready”.

Following a long campaign to secure funding, Forbairt Pobail Mhaigh Cuilinn welcomed the announcement which will allow the organisation to proceed with its plans for a multi-functional sports hall, a raised retractable stage for drama and cultural events, and a business incubator hub.

Pictured: Minister Heather Humphries with Mayor of Galway, Cllr Eddie Hoare, at the announcement of funding.

Lockers with free-to-use sports and leisure equipment are to be rolled out across 12 city parks in the coming months, with the first to be installed at Westside Playing Fields in May.

The Mayor, Cllr Eddie Hoare (FG), confirmed this week that the lockers, which have been developed by Swiss company BoxUp, will be installed in an effort to improve access to sports.

Funding for the majority of the locker units had been secured through the Community Recognition Fund, said Mayor Hoare, which was made available to communities where accommodation centres for asylum seekers had been located.

“The initial plan was to install two of these units under Active Cities funding with Galway Sports Partnership. Now funding has been secured from the first round of the Community Recognition Fund for another 10, which means they will be in most public parks across the city,” he said.

The lockers are accessible using a phone app, to which users sign up, before using an QR code on the lockers to access the equipment held inside.

Mayor Hoare said the contents of the lockers will depend on the location, but likely items include footballs, basketballs, tennis rackets and balls, and hurls and sliotars – all depending on the facilities at each location.

“People will be able to sign up on the app and there is no payment required. All you will have to give to sign up is a photo of your ID.

“When you scan the code, you get use of the item for three hours. If someone goes to the locker and there’s something missing, they are able to report it and it will be relayed back to Galway Sports Partnership by the Swiss operators,” said the Fine Gael councillor.

“The Sports Partnership will replenish the lockers if anything is lost, like tennis balls or other things that might go missing. You can report if something gets lost, and because people will have given their ID, it will be recorded who has borrowed from the lockers,” he continued.

The model is based on inclusivity, said Mayor Hoare, and it will be an opportunity for all to have access to equipment.

“We know that, for some, accessing equipment can be a real barrier to participation. With so many facilities, parks and open spaces across our city, it’s important we try to meet the needs of individuals to enable them to be active and participate in sports,” he said.

The first lockers will be in place in Westside by the end of next month, said the Mayor, with the remainder to be installed in the coming months.

Pictured: BoxUp lockers in a Dublin park, similar to the ones to be rolled out in Galway. Users will get access to the equipment through an app on their phone.