€100,000 to be distributed amongst Clare clubs

UP to €100,000 will be distributed in grants to Clare soccer clubs this summer in conjunction with the staging of the FAI’s annual general meeting in the county.
A programme of activities has been drawn up for the week from July 11 to 18 with the annual meeting taking place in the West County Hotel, Ennis, on Saturday, July 16.
The club support scheme is open to all clubs and football organisations based in the county and applications must be submitted to the FAI by June 17, the association’s chief executive officer John Delaney said on Monday at the launch in the offices of Clare County Council.
“The club support scheme gives clubs in Clare a unique opportunity to source funding for infrastructure projects or the purchase of equipment and we will announce the grants during the week leading up to the AGM,” he told the reception.
“Over the past year, we have introduced several opportunities for clubs to raise funds such as the 3 affinity scheme which makes €10 million available to clubs and leagues, as well as the Shared Access Scheme which makes €30m available to clubs and leagues for floodlight and facility development.”
The FAI official added that he was “delighted that the AGM and festival of football is being held in Clare for the first time” and he promised a week to remember for all involved.
He told the attendance that he had a particular love for Clare as his grandmother was from Ennis while his wife is also from Ennis and he recalled spending every summer in Kilkee for 15 years.
“Since 2011, we have used the AGM as an opportunity to showcase football in the host county through the addition of a week-long festival of football. To date, we have had festivals in Kerry, Mayo, Monaghan and Wexford and all four have proved to be very successful and raised the profile of the game within these counties, as well as strengthening the link between the association and our grassroots,” Delaney said.
He went on to pay tribute to Clare County Council and the Clare Sports Partnership for the help they have given and are continuing to provide, which has resulted in the appointment of Denis Hynes as an FAI coach within the county.
“During the week-long festival, we will be going to every corner of the county, visiting big clubs and small clubs and seeing at first hand the tremendous work that is being done on the ground to develop our game. As well as club visits by FAI officials, development officers, coaching staff and football personalities, there will be summer soccer schools in Moneypoint, Newmarket, Kilrush, Shannon and Ennis during the week and football fun days in Lahinch, Shannon, Kilrush and Scariff,” he explained.
Amongst those who will be visiting are Republic of Ireland senior team manager Giovanni Trapattoni and former players, Ray Houghton and John Aldridge, who are FAI ambassadors.
The Aviva club of the year will be revealed at the delegates’ dinner, which will be held at the West County Hotel and Tulla United are in the running for this award. The coach of the year and service to football awards will be presented on the night.
In the region of 250 delegates representing every FAI league, divisional association and affiliate are expected to attend the AGM, which, according to the chief executive officer, will “leave its own legacy to the football family in Clare in these difficult times. There has been extraordinary development in Clare in the last 10 years in places like Tulla, Newmarket, Lifford, Lees Road and Kilmihil.”
At the outset on Monday, Mayor of Clare Christy Curtin welcomed the FAI delegation to Clare.
“Clare loves its sport and Clare welcomes any sports people. Sport is the development of mind and body and it’s an expression of community. I know what the clubs of this county have done and continue to do and it’s absolutely necessary in the present climate when this nation is, I hope, on the first steps of recovery that sport is use to embody everybody working in a partnership and to lift the spirits of the people,” stated Mayor Curtin.
Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council is cognisant of its value because jointly we have co-funded an officer of this county in Denis Hynes. He and his team have done superb work which is extremely important. We welcome you all to Clare and we know that you will have an enjoyable and successful time here,” the mayor concluded.
Speaking on behalf of the Clare Soccer League, Jim Madden welcomed the FAI officials to Ennis for the launch.
“This is the biggest sports event that will take place in the county and it’s an opportunity for us to show our county to the visitors,” he said before going onto pay tribute to Clare County Council for its support for the game.
“Hosting the festival and the AGM has been on our agenda for a number of years and John Delaney has been very supportive of our proposals. He has also supported the various club developments which have taken place in the county. Over the last 10 years, the improvement in facilities in this county has been unbelievable,” according to Madden, who is chairman of the organising committee for the upcoming AGM
He praised John Delaney’s support for these projects and added, “He was also instrumental in arranging the partnership between the FAI, the schoolboys and junior leagues and the local authority to fund the appointment of our county development officer, Denis Hynes who has been instrumental in the growth of the game in the county.”
Ennis Town Council official, Michael Guilfoyle who is the Clare schoolboys’/girls’ delegate on the SFAI, also paid tribute to John Delaney for his support of Clare soccer.