A third tranche of grant awards worth €558,039 to 33 local community groups and micro-enterprises were made today by the Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. See the full breakdown of awards below.

In the South, Ring Rowing Club got an 80% grant of €5,200 for equipment. Likewise, Courtmacsherry Rowing Club was awarded €7,988

Baltimore Community Council’s Croí Na Mara project got €14,940 towards its memorial to commemorate those lost to the sea in the coastal village in West Cork

In the North, Donegal County Council were awarded €15,840 for Harbour facilities.

The awards by five of the Fisheries Local Action Groups were established under Ireland’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme. The grants are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

Announcing the third tranche of awards, Minister McConalogue said, “I am delighted to announce today a further 33 coastal projects to benefit from EMFF funding through the Fisheries Local Action Groups established as part of my Department’s EMFF Programme supporting the development of our seafood sector and coastal communities. These latest grant awards mean a total of €3.3 million FLAG funding has been awarded this year alone to 188 coastal projects.”

Minister McConalogue added, “These projects will provide valuable economic and social benefits to our coastal communities during a difficult period for many. This is just one of the ways in which my Department’s EMFF Programme is making a positive difference to our coastal communities.”

Flag South

Applicant	Project Title	Rate	Total Cost	Grant Aid
Ring Rowing Club	Equipment	80%	6,500.00	5,200.00
Courtmacsherry Rowing Club CLG	Equipment	80%	9,985.00	7,988.00
Oceans of Discovery	Oceans of Discovery Scuba Diving & Marine Education / Promoting Corks Underwater World	50%	20,063.00	10,031.50
Wild Atlantic Glamping Ltd.	Equipment	50%	11,252.00	5,626.00
Clean Coasts Ballynamona	Equipment	80%	31,666.80	25,333.44
Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association CLG	Equipment	80%	22,448.00	17,958.40
Gecko Adventures	Watersports Equipment	50%	30,016.00	15,008.00
Ballycotton Development Company Limited	Village Island Mural	80%	1,142.00	913.60
Elln Hutchins	Seaweed Educational Supports	80%	9,902.00	7,921.60
Baltimore Community Council	Croí Na Mara	60%	24,900.00	14,940.00
	Total		167,874.80	110,920.54

Flag North

Applicant	Project Title	Rate	Total Cost	Grant Aid
Donegal County Council	Harbour Facilities	60%	26,400.00	15,840.00
Coiste Forbartha na Carraige	Footbridge	80%	32,627.12	26,101.70
On the Rocks	Pods	40%	69,800.00	27,920.00
Muileann Coirce Leitir CTR	Siúlóid Abhainn na Timpeallachta (Environmental River Walk)	80%	43,803.32	35,042.66
	Total		172,630.44	104,904.35

FLAG Northwest

Applicant	Project Title	Rate	Total Cost	Grant Aid
Mayo North Destination Steering Group	Support for Mayo North Tourism promotion and development plan 2020 – 2023	80%	22,623.27	18,098.62
Jasmin Priegelmeir	Cré Clare Island Pottery Shop	40%	14,698.05	5,879.22
Mayo County Council/Belmullet Tidy Towns	Mayo County Council/Belmullet Tidy Towns	33%	150,000.00	50,000.00
Ceide Coast Community	Feasibility study for Ceide Coast Incubation Hub	80%	20,000.00	16,000.00
	Total		207,321.32	89,977.84

FLAG West

Applicant	Project Title	Rate	Total Cost	Grant Aid
J & S Ocean Products	Upgrading Processing Equipment	80%	16,549.00	13,239.20
Séamus Ó Flatharta	Inis Oírr Glamping and Campsite	40%	17,460.00	6,984.00
Oranmore Castle	Oranmore Castle Cultural Centre	40%	42,553.21	17,021.28
Calluragh House Concerts	Workshop Improvements	40%	7,801.00	3,120.40
Loop Head Tourism Ltd	Development of the tourism product on Loop Head peninsula which will have a positive effect on the local communities	80%	4,900.00	3,920.00
Cuan Beo CLG	Cuan Beo - Implementing a holistic approach to sustainability in Galway Bay 2020	80%	16,191.55	12,953.24
Spiddal Craft & Design Centre	Online marketing campaign	80%	6,500.00	5,200.00
Owen O Connell	Training	50%	2,000.00	1,000.00
Údarás na Gaeltachta	Slí Chonamara Trail	100%	43,070.58	43,070.58
	Total		157,025.34	106,508.70
	Overall Total		887,011.50	558,039.12

 

#TALL SHIPS - The flagship vessel for an Asgard-type sail training programme in Cork has been locked up in a boatyard since 2007, the Irish Examiner reports.

The Omar B was supposed to be the focus of a Youthreach project based in Bantry for early school leavers. But the schooner has spent the last four-plus years in storage in Baltimore, and has been deteriorating due to lack of maintenance - despite the scheme still notionally running, the newspaper report says.

Five two-man dinghies purchased with grant money have also reportedly spent most of 2011 in storage.

Co Cork's VEC has now put the €150,000 sailing programme under review following concerns over storage costs and lack of direction for the project.

The 75ft Omar B was donated to the CCVEC by owner and builder Don Attig in 2003 and refitted for use by students thanks to generous voluntary funding. Attig said the boat was of immense benefit to students who would not otherwise be in education.

The Irish Examiner has much more on the story HERE.