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15/01/2016

Croke Park 2015 Community Fund Reception

Croke Park allocates €100,000 in funding to 53 local groups in 2015

The stadium’s community fund has now allocated over €675,000 since 2009

Thursday, January 14th 2016:  Croke Park today welcomed representatives from fifty-three community groups, schools, resident associations & sports clubs to a special reception hosted by GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail.  Over 100 guests were in attendance at the event which celebrates the work of local groups who have received financial support from the stadium’s annual community fund of €100,000. 

Established in 2009, the Croke Park Community Fund has now allocated over €675,000 in support to community projects based within 1.5km of the stadium.  Last year was a very successful year for the fund as a record number of local community groups successfully applied for support.  In 2015, 11 youth projects, 8 local schools, 9 community festivals, 6 senior citizen projects, 3 community gardens, and a host of local groups seeking support for activitives from first aid to knitting receiving financial assistance from Croke Park.
During the event, President of the GAA, Aogán Ó Fearghail spoke about the pride the GAA feels as they see what is accomplished in the local area with the stadium’s support. He said:

“Croke Park is more than a stadium – we are also proud supporters of our local community. No where is this support more visibly shown in the area than through the stadium’s community fund.  With over 120 local groups supported with €675,000 of Croke Park funding in the past seven years, we know that our investment makes real impacts across the community area.  The GAA is  proud to be able to provide community fund recipients with the resources they need to expand their activities; build new facilities; help more of their neighbours and grow community spirit.”

Richard Fox of the local Ballybough Boxing Club spoke about how support from the Croke Park Community Fund helped get their club established over the past two years:  “The funding we received from Croke Park made a big difference as we worked to set up our club in Ballybough.  We now have a  boxing ring, training equipment and just recently we got a new non-slip gym floor put in.  None of this would have been possible without the support we received from the GAA through the Community Fund.”

Aoife Kelly Gibson, Principal of Larkin Community College spoke about a special project that local pupils are currently working on with the Gaiety School of Acting.  It will be performed on local streets in March 2016 and highlight how the 1916 Rising was seen by and impacted on the young people of Dublin:

“The Croke Park Community Fund is supporting this entire project which means our students have the opportunity to work with professionals from the world of the arts and raise the standards of their own work: deepen their empathetic understanding of loss for the families of the children who died in 1916: engage in collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives that strengthen their own learning and develop life-long skills: improve oral literacy through play-making and have fun. Our students look forward to the workshops with the Gaiety School of Acting. It is a highlight in their week.”

Applications for funding in 2016 now being accepted and the form can be downloaded here. Additional information and help filling in the application form is also available from the stadium; please contact [email protected] or 01-865 8607.