More than €600,000 in funding for Mayo projects

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, has today confirmed that 23 projects in Mayo will benefit from €606,568 in funding from the Community Climate Action Programme (CCAP) awarded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.

The CCAP provides funding to community groups to run projects that will contribute to national climate and energy targets. The diverse initiatives made possible by the CCAP include the development of community gardens and composting systems, as well as the installation of renewable energy systems, EV chargers, bike racks, water refill stations, lighting upgrades, and rainwater harvesting systems around the country.

Successful projects include:

Moy Davitts GAA Club €95,225.94 - An integrated upgrade to cut electricity use and embed circularity and active travel across the club.

Tooreen Hurling Club €73,000.08 - A multi-theme project combining clean energy, circular practices, biodiversity, water efficiency and active travel.

Ballina Karen community Green Garden €4,319.00 - Install a polytunnel with steel foundation, four hydroponic propagation tables and three 1,000-litre rainwater tanks to expand climate-smart growing capacity.

Castlebar Rugby Club €29,453.00 - Install 36 x 460 W PV panels, two batteries/inverters, and an automatic gateway changeover switch to power the clubhouse with clean energy and provide resilient backup.

Confirming the funding, Minister Calleary said:

“I welcome this announcement today by my colleague, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien, for funding under the Community Climate Action Programme.

“The projects in Mayo, which will be delivered in partnership with Mayo County Council, are for initiatives in renewable energy, enhancing community engagement, promoting sustainability, active travel and sustainable transport. There is a wide spread of projects right across the county and the money allocated will make a real difference for the successful recipients.

“I want to congratulate all of those who have been allocated funding today and wish them well on their Climate Action journey” concluded Calleary.

Full list of successful projects:

1. Swift Conservation Mayo Install Swift-specific nest boxes and attraction call systems at community and school sites to support breeding of this red-listed species.

Funding Allocation: €5,978.80 

2. Castlebar Tidy Towns Build an artificial Sand Martin nesting wall (≈30 nest chambers) to provide secure breeding habitat for this amber-listed species within the town.

Funding Allocation: €7,000.00 

3. Ballina Karen community Green Garden Install a polytunnel with steel foundation, four hydroponic propagation tables and three 1,000-litre rainwater tanks to expand climate-smart growing capacity.

Funding Allocation:€4,319.00 

4. Westport Community Garden Replace the damaged polytunnel cover and install recycled-plastic benches, picnic tables and materials to build an expanded composting facility.

Funding Allocation: €8,033.93 

5. Climate Action Louisburgh Locality Equip local centres (Louisburgh, Killeen, Clare Island) with 1 home-power station each to strengthen local storm resilience and install one water-refill station at community hall to reduce single-use plastics.

Funding Allocation: €14,105.14 

6. Killala Community Council (New Start) CLG One public water-refill station, a polytunnel, a steel shed with concrete base, fruit trees and supports, site materials (hardcore/topsoil/gravel), garden tools, potting tables and raised beds, plus contingency.

Funding Allocation: €15,225.58 

7. Parke & Crimlin Area Development Association Create a biodiversity nature trail and community tree nursery using approved infrastructure: gates, locks, stone and hardcore, 4 polytunnels, irrigation systems, native trees, IBC tanks, pallets, boot baths, bins and a small electric chipper.

Funding Allocation: €16,523.00 

8. Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns Purchase an electric shredder and 36 V electric lawnmower for the community garden to support low-emission maintenance and on-site composting.

Funding Allocation: €770.00 

9. Straide Community Development Group CLG Install 22 solar panels with inverter and a 10-kW battery storage system to cut energy use and provide storm-resilient backup power at the community centre.

Funding Allocation: €10,845.00 Medium Projects 

10. Aughagower Tidy Towns and Heritage Villages Install a polytunnel, orchard planting, three rainwater-harvesting IBC tanks and a solar PV system for the community.

Funding Allocation: €11,942.30 

11. Clára Development Company DAC Install one MyGug biodigester with associated electrical and plumbing works, plus minor contingency, to convert food waste into bio-fertiliser and biogas for community use.

Funding Allocation: €17,566.12 

12. Kilmovee Shamrocks GAA Club Fit 20 PV panels, a 6-kW inverter and 5 kW battery to power clubhouse lighting and equipment.

Funding Allocation: €11,300.00 

13. Castlebar Rugby Club Install 36 x 460 W PV panels, two batteries/inverters, and an automatic gateway changeover switch to power the clubhouse with clean energy and provide resilient backup.

Funding Allocation: €29,453.00 

14. Westport United Community Soccer Club Install solar e-bike charging, a solar-powered bike repair station, and a bike shelter to encourage active travel to the club.

Funding Allocation: €20,094.00 

15. Comharchumann Forbartha cill tSeadhna Teoranta Install a roof-mounted solar PV array with battery, inverters/mounting/wiring, and energy monitoring, plus mini-generation connection works.

Funding Allocation: €28,562.98 

16. Cong Tidy Towns Install one public water-refill station in busy tourist spot, install a bike shelter & repair station, and solar compacting bins; set up the community garden (shed, timber/stone works, rainwater harvesting unit, planting materials and labour).

Funding Allocation: €28,689.02 

17. Breaffy GAA Club De-commission gas and install electric heating, replace 40 internal/external lights with LED, fit a high-performance entrance door, and add a galvanized 6-bay bike rack.

Funding Allocation: €30,531.50 

18. Aghamore Community Development CLG Supply and erect a 50 kW PV system for the integrated community campus and plant c. 500 trees/shrubs to create habitat, shelter and local climate benefits.

Funding Allocation: €32,602.00 

19. Balla CRD Install PV panels for Balla CRD and Balla GAA, with battery storage for CRD, LED lighting upgrade at the GAA clubhouse, and bicycle racks to support active travel.

Funding Allocation: €35,697.12 Large Projects 

20. Castlebar Mitchels GAA Club A focused active-travel intervention to encourage walking and cycling to the club: delivery of a cycle lane and pedestrian walkway.

Funding Allocation:€56,500.00 

21. Accelerating Change Together Public-realm greening and surface-water management to create a more climate-resilient, biodiversity-friendly space: a vertical garden, bespoke rainwater gardens, pollinator planter boxes, landscaping services, and the associated PSDP and PSCS services with contingency.

Funding Allocation: €52,603.82 

22. Tooreen Hurling Club A multi-theme project combining clean energy, circular practices, biodiversity, water efficiency and active travel: solar panels for two community buildings, a polycarbonate greenhouse and garden shed, groundworks for a community garden with raised beds and ground beds and a composting area, 16 replacement shower heads, two bike racks, materials for a hurl-repair workshop, indoor and outdoor waste-segregation bins, materials to build a bug hotel, six Swift boxes with one Swift call system, and contingency.

Funding Allocation: €73,000.08 

23. Moy Davitts GAA ClubFunding An integrated upgrade to cut electricity use and embed circularity and active travel across the club: clubhouse and attic insulation, solar PV panels, full LED lighting upgrade, biodiversity garden/planting, efficiency-focused pitch maintenance equipment, gear-swap infrastructure, 16 planter barrels, a bike-repair stand with pump and five bicycle stands, and 250 reusable 600 ml branded club bottles.

Allocation: €95,225.94