Laois sports clubs score big as over €300,000 in Court Poor Box donations shared out

Dozens of sports clubs across Laois have benefitted from a record-breaking €301,000 in donations from the Court Poor Box and seized criminal assets, with a huge portion of the funds earmarked specifically for underage sport.

At a sitting of Portlaoise District Court on Thursday, June 19, Judge Andrew Cody confirmed that the district, which includes Laois and Offaly, allocated the largest total of Poor Box and Police Property Application funds in the country, with more than 150 charities receiving support.

Significantly for sport in the county, almost all of the €104,000 seized in cash through Police Property Applications was directed to juvenile sections of GAA and soccer clubs across Laois. Each club (listed below) received €3,000 to be used exclusively for the purchase of training equipment for their underage teams while €5,000 went to Laochra Laois- Sports Development for Special Olympics. READ MORE AFTER IMAGE.

Among the beneficiaries were nearly every GAA club in Laois, as well as Laois LGFA clubs, juvenile camogie clubs, and local soccer outfits including Portlaoise AFC, Abbeyleix AFC, Lions AFC in Durrow, and Clover United from Rathdowney.

As well as cash, Portlaoise Rugby Club received a unique and practical donation, 6,000 litres of confiscated diesel. This fuel, seized by Gardaí and forfeited to the State under the Police Property Act, has now been redirected to help power the club’s generator and floodlights.

“The court directed that 6,000 litres of confiscated diesel be donated to Portlaoise Rugby Club to power the generator for their floodlights,” Judge Cody said.

He added that the donations reflect the court’s efforts to support community development and youth services, noting that “in total €104,000 was distributed to the clubs to be utilised solely to purchase training equipment as required, so as to aid underage/juvenile development in sports. No monies are to be spent by the adult sections of these same Clubs.”

In addition to GAA, LGFA, soccer and rugby, other sports organisations supported include Portlaoise Boxing Club, which received €5,000, and Panthers Basketball Club and Portlaoise Hockey Club, which both received €500. See below and read more after picture.

Judge Cody paid tribute to the work being done by local sports clubs, especially those working with young people. He praised boxing clubs in Portlaoise and Tullamore in particular for offering a positive outlet to young people, saying they “divert aggression in an alternative way”.

He also confirmed that many of the donations, including €150,000, came from first-time drug offenders fined during last year’s Electric Picnic festival.

“The increased resources allowed us to be more generous this year. This arose primarily from the increased donations following prosecutions for possession of drugs arising out of the Electric Picnic Festival,” he said.

The funds were distributed by a committee made up of judges, Gardaí, court officials and local solicitors, with the allocations now formally announced.

The massive €301,000 total, made up of €150,000 from fines, €104,000 from forfeited criminal cash and €47,000 in other Poor Box payments, represents an unprecedented boost to grassroots sport in Laois.

Sports clubs in neighbouring counties also benefited from the Poor Box donations, with clubs in Carlow, Westmeath and Offaly among the recipients.

READ NEXT: Electric Picnic drug fines account for half €300k Laois Court Poor Box donations