Rural Regeneration Fund

Maura Walsh, CEO, IRD Duhallow turns the sod at the Banteer Sportsfield Building Project in the presence of John O’Leary, Asst Secretary; Thomas O’Keeffe, Builder; Denis Withers, Secretary; Dermot McCarthy, Chairman; Seamus O’Keeffe, Committee; Jack O’Connell, James Vaughan, O’Shea Leader Consulting Engineers; Donie Barry, Treasurer and Patrick Buckley, Committee

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a commitment of €1 billion by government to be invested in rural Ireland over the period 2019 to 2027.The purpose of the fund is to support job creation in rural areas, address de-population of rural communities and support improvements in our towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas. Initial funding of €315 million has been allocated to the fund on a phased basis over the period 2019 to 2022.

Banteer

Banteer was awarded €1.2m in February 2019. The main thrust of the project was the development of a regulation sized Astroturf pitch and support facilities. The promoter, Banteer & District Community Sportsfield, are now in the final stages of competing the project with the spectator stand building nearing completion. The facility includes an all-weather facility, spectator area and sports pavilion which encompass changing areas/museum/exhibitor area /café area and a communal area for events and meetings. The benefits of this development are numerous and include access for all to this state of the art recreation facility, the only community owned one of its size in the county; the further promotion of exercise and healthy living including the combatting of childhood obesity and teenage inactivity; and will compliment and expand the existing facilities of Banteer. Projects such as this ensure small rural areas continue to thrive and are the lifeblood of rural Ireland.

Knocknagree

IRD Duhallow supported Knocknagree Development Association through the LEADER programme to engage consultant Bill Thorne to do a full and comprehensive study on the Knocknagree and surrounding area in order to develop a community plan. The study identified a number of developments that would help regenerate the area and the Rural Regeneration programme was identified as the appropriate fund. The group applied in the 2020 call and were disappointed that they did not get selected. They have continued to work with us and their local representatives to resubmit this year.

The proposed project for the village - Knocknagree Community Hub, will be purpose-designed facility that addresses the need for community facilities to return social and economic vitality currently lost to the village core. The Community Hub will occupy some 794m2 of accommodation over two floors.

The ground floor will provide for a multipurpose hall and a community café/retail space. Additionally, community enterprise space and a range of ancillary uses are provided for. The first floor will contain a multipurpose space and viewing gallery for the main hall, accessed by a staircase. Within the site will be a LEADER funded playground, adding further to the functionality of the Hub.

All of the facilities to be provided in the Hub were identified by the community, and are designed to encourage the existing community to make more use of the locality from a social and enterprise perspective. The new building has been designed to visually complement the village core, and provides a natural infill to the streetscape bounding the recently restored Fair Green and sited adjacent to the Church. The facility will have minimal impact on traffic in the village, since it shares extensive existing public car parking space.

The development of the new Community Hub will see activity and traffic generation directed away from the existing Community Centre site, which was constructed in the 1950s as an old village dance hall. The existing building is of very poor construction, does not have any directly accessible car parking, and presents ownership challenges. It also fronts directly on to the R582, which is a narrow and very busy access road through the village, to the primary school, and nearby major joinery works and factory and which has ribbon development on both sides.

Knocknagree Community Hub forms a pivotal element of the broader Knocknagree Village Development, which will ultimately include the addition of a Garden of the Senses into the Fair Green, together with specific improvements to the existing public footpaths throughout the village.

An Aerial Photo showing the finished Astroturf facility in Banteer.

Giving the project the thumbs up. The second phase of the Banteer Astro Turf project is the development of a new community building with changing rooms, toilets, disabled facilities, spectator stand area, museum and tea room facility incorporated. This is being built by O’Keeffe ’ s of Banteer. Drawings of the proposed new community amenity in Knocknagree.

The feasibility study into the regeneration of Knocknagree was conducted by Bill Thorne of Exodea Consulting.