Twenty six towns and villages across the country have outlined plans to transform their localities, to tackle dereliction and vacant buildings and improve community meeting places and amenity projects under the Government's Town Centre First project.
The €2.6 million fund will see each town granted €100,000 to improve the look of their localities, identifying more heritage and riverside projects to improve daily life and pride for families and businesses.
The projects are all community led, with a bottom up approach in which local people themselves identify how best their villages could be improved with a diverse range of projects.
In addition new Town Regeneration Officers have also been appointed at every local authority in the country to drive forward and advise local communities.
Planned projects include repurposing derelict sites, creating community parks and walkways, protecting heritage sites and thus improving tourism and business opportunities.
Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humpreys launched 26 of the first phase plans today at an event in Co Limerick.
She said the initiative was about empowering people to develop a vision for their town that can make it a better place to live, work, invest in and enjoy.
"Communities are at the heart of rural Ireland and these new plans and the appointment of Town Regeneration Officers will help communities execute their plans in a strategic and coherent way to tackle vacancy and dereliction," she said.
Towns like Sixmilebridge in Co Clare, Milford in Donegal, and Clara in Co Offaly have all submitted plans to improve their localities - including the redevelopment of a hotel in Milford and development of riverside walks in Clara.
Joan Tarmey, Town Regeneration Officer in Sixmilebridge, said they have around ten projects to improve their town which is having a huge impact on the community.
It includes a new dedicated footbridge across the O'Garney River and a riverside walk, the preservation of architecturally sensitive buildings, working on creating amenity space around the Duck Inn, and improved outdoor spaces for young people and older citizens.
Towns which have launched their plans include:
- Carlow - Tullow
- Cavan - Bailieborough
- Clare - Sixmilebridge
- Cork - Skibbereen
- Donegal - Milford
- Fingal - Lusk
- Galway - Gort
- Kerry - Milltown
- Kildare - Clane
- Kilkenny - Urlingford
- Laois - Rathdowney
- Leitrim - Carrick-on-Shannon
- Limerick - Abbeyfeale
- Longford - Longford Town
- Louth - Dunleer
- Mayo - Killala
- Meath - Enfield
- Monaghan - Carrickmacross
- Offaly - Clara
- Roscommon - Strokestown
- Sligo - Tubbercurry
- Tipperary - Roscrea
- Waterford - Portlaw
- Westmeath - Moate
- Wexford - New Ross
- Wicklow -Blessington
And a further 26 towns will quality under the next part of the scheme:
- Carlow - Bagenalstown
- Cavan - Killeshandra
- Clare - Kilrush
- Cork - Kanturk
- Donegal - Glenties
- Fingal - Rush
- Galway - Athenry
- Kerry - Kenmare
- Kildare - Castledermot
- Kilkenny - Graigeunamanagh
- Laois - Mountmellick
- Leitrim - Manorhamilton
- Limerick - Rathkeale
- Longford - Ballymahon
- Louth - Clogherhead
- Mayo - Ballyhaunis
- Meath - Dunshaughlin
- Monaghan - Ballybay
- Offaly - Ferbane
- Roscommon - Castlerea
- Sligo - Ballymote
- Tipperary - Carrick-on-Suir
- Waterford - Dunmore East
- Westmeath - Castlepollard
- Wexford - Courtown/Riverchapel
- Wicklow - Newtownmountkennedy
