Almost 140 Laois community groups to be granted €165,000 - full list

Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick and many other towns, villages and communities in Laois are to receive grants of €165,246 to enhance their communities.

In all, 139 community groups and projects in Laois have been successful in applying for money from the Local Enhancement Programme 2025.

The recipients were announced on Friday morning, June 13 by Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD.

The two biggest grants have gone to Portlaoise, with the Community First Responders Portlaoise getting €7,515 and Portlaoise AFC soccer club €7,956.

The next largest are Portarlington Scout Group who get €6,500, Laois Arles/Kileen GAA Club Ballickmoyler €5,000.

The smallest sum granted are to two rural schools, with €249 for Gaelscoil Shlí Dala Parents Association and €250 for Shanahoe NS Parents Association in Abbeyleix. See full list below story.

Laois TD Willie Aird welcomed the funding.

“These grants are small in nature but I know they make such a big difference to the organisations involved. The groups might use the funding to pay a particular bill or fund a project or idea.

“I have visited many of these groups across County Laois and I have seen first-hand the fantastic work that they do for the benefit of their communities. These groups do invaluable work to make our communities better places to live, work and
raise a family,” he said.

Deputy Aird also encouraged all recipient groups to liaise with their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), which is administering the programme locally.

Laois TD Sean Fleming also welcomes the allocations.

"The grants will improve and enhance these community facilities in Laois, which play a vital role in their local communities. The funding will provide supports for the many small community groups across the County. I want to congratulate the successful Laois applicants and thank them for the vital work they do in providing services in local communities.

"I am committed to and will continue to help all local groups who carry out work on a voluntary basis for the benefit of their local communities," Dep Fleming said.

Minister Jerry Buttimer said:

“The Local Enhancement Programme is about giving a helping hand to our local groups and clubs, who are the building blocks of Irish community life.”

The full list of Laois grants in alphabetical order is:

• 2nd Laois (Rathdowney) Scout Group Rathdowney €399.00
• 3rd Laois Durrow Scouts Durrow €2,115.00
• 4th Laois Portarlington Scout Group Portarlington €6,500.00
• Abbeyleix AFC Abbeyleix €3,000.00
• Abbeyleix Bog Project Abbeyleix €450.00
• Abbeyleix Community Garden Abbeyleix €800.00
• Abbeyleix Women's Dev Group CLG Abbeyleix €600.00
• Aghaboe Abbey Preservation Committee Clough €2,213.00
• Annanough GFC Portlaoise €470.00
• Arles Kilcruise GFC Arles €450.00
• Arles Kilcruise Wellbeing Committee Arles €1,000.00
• Arles/Kileen GAA Club Ballickmoyler €5,000.00
• Ballacolla Tidy Towns Rathdowney €470.00
• Ballinakill Comm Dev Association Ballinakill €1,175.00
• Ballinakill Indoor Bowls Portlaoise €1,000.00
• Ballylinan Community Council Ballylinan €591.00
• Ballypickas Hurling Club Abbeyleix €450.00
• Ballyroan Active Retirement Ballyroan €1,000.00
• Ballyroan Community Development CLG Ballyroan €450.00
• Ballyroan Community Hall Ballyroan €450.00
• Ballyroan Juvenile Basketball Club Ballyroan €470.00
• Barrowhouse Community Association Ltd Barrowhouse €470.00
• Borris in Ossory GAA Club Borris in Ossory €811.00
• Borris in Ossory Garden Club Borris in Ossory €450.00
• Borris in Ossory Men's Shed Borris in Ossory €470.00
• Borris Innovation Centre CLG Borris in Ossory €470.00
• Camross Community Association Camross Village €470.00
• Camross Tidy Town Mountrath €628.00
• Castlecuff NS Parents Association Clonaslee €843.00
• Castletown Community Centre Castletown €4,000.00
• Castletown ICA Guild Castletown €3,500.00
• Clonad GAA Portlaoise €470.00
• Clough N.S. Parents' Council Clough €588.00
• Clough Tidy Towns Ballacolla €847.00
• Coderdojo Portarlington €480.00
• Colt Shanahoe Juvinile GAA Club Abbeyleix €1,000.00
• Corran Na Noir Residents Association Abbeyleix €935.00
• Dignity Partnership Kilminchy €992.00
• Donaghmore Workhouse & Agricultural Museum Donaghmore €470.00
• Droimnin Residents Association Stradbally €450.00
• Embrace Farm MOUNTRATH €911.00
• Emo GAA Emo €450.00
• Emo Sportsfield Committee Emo €470.00
• Errill Christmas Lights Portlaoise €945.00
• Errill GAA Club Errill €450.00
• Errill Snooker Club Errill €1,000.00
• Errill Tidy Towns Portlaoise €977.00
• Fourth Wall Laois Theatre Group Portlaoise €450.00
• Gaelscoil Shlí Dala Parents Association Kyle €249.00
• Graigue Cemetery Committee Mountmellick €470.00
• Grange United Borris In Ossory €1,000.00
• Hawthorn Community Building Portlaoise €1,412.00
• Hawthorn Drive Residents Association Portlaoise €380.00
• Holy Family Junior School Parents Council Portlaoise €959.00
• IWA - Irish Wheelchair Association Portlaoise €3,795.00
• Kilcotton GAA Club Knockaroo €450.00
• Killenard Active Retirement Association Portarlington €879.00
• Knock National School Parents Association Abbeyleix €680.00
• Knock Vintage Men's Shed Spink €976.00
• LABRAS Portlaoise €450.00
• Lakeglen Residents Portlaoise €470.00
• Laois Africa Support Group Mountmellick €450.00
• Laois ARCH Club Portlaoise €470.00
• Laois Beekeeping Association Abbeyleix €500.00
• Laois Brazilian Support Association Portlaoise €389.00
• Laois Camogie Portarlington €470.00
• Laois Domestic Abuse Service Portlaoise €3,500.00
• Laois Friends Special Needs, Social and Recreational Committee Portlaoise €450.00
• Laois Youth Services Portlaoise €4,000.00
• Mná le chéile Portlaoise €599.00
• Mountmellick Gun Club Mountmellick €1,000.00
• Mountmellick I.C.A Mountmellick €470.00
• Mountmellick Men's Shed Mountmellick €1,532.00
• Mountmellick Women's Shed Mountmellick €484.00
• Mountrath Golden Years Mountrath €450.00
• Mountrath Men's Shed Mountrath €1,326.00
• Mountrath Scout Group Mountrath €716.00
• Naomh Eamann Camogie Castletown €728.00
• Oak Vale Residents Association Stradbally €2,000.00
• O'Brien Community Hall Borris in Ossory €2,500.00
• Old Fort Celtic FC Portlaoise €3,845.00
• One Voice with God Portlaosie €470.00
• Park Ratheniska GAA Club Ratheniska €3,000.00
• Peter Bradley Foundation t/a Acquired Brain Injury Ireland Portlaoise €450.00
• Port Art Collective Portarlington €295.00
• Portarlington Community Centre Portarlington €470.00
• Portarlington GAA Portarlington €470.00
• Portarlington Men's Shed Portarlington €821.00
• Portarlington Social Services Portarlington €470.00
• Portlaoise Active Retirement Group Block Road €1,000.00
• Portlaoise AFC Portlaoise €7,956.00
• Portlaoise Athletic Club Portlaoise €1,218.00
• Portlaoise Community & Family Resource Centre Portlaoise €2,100.00
• Portlaoise Community First Responders Portlaoise €7,515.00
• Portlaoise Men's Shed Portlaoise €479.00
• Portlaoise Mothers & Others Stradbally €400.00
• Portlaoise Panthers Baskeball Club Portlaoise €1,495.00

Read also: Fabulous photos from Laois Crinniú na nÓg childrens events

• Rathdowney Community Centre CLG Rathdowney €470.00
• Rathdowney Women's Shed Rathdowney €1,210.00
• Ratheniska Community Hall St. Aongus Club Stradbally €470.00
• Ratheniska National School Parents Association Ratheniska €1,257.00
• Rosenallis Tidy Towns Rosenallis €664.00
• Sarsfields LGFA Clonaslee €450.00
• Shanahoe Community Hall Abbeyleix €1,602.00
• Shanahoe GAA Abbeyleix €1,924.00
• Shanahoe Ladies Football Abbeyleix €1,000.00
• Shanahoe National School Parents Association Abbeyleix €566.00
• Shanahoe NS PA Abbeyleix €250.00
• Skeirke Graveyard Dev Ass Ballybrophy €650.00
• Spink Comhaltas Ballyroan Road €3,166.00
• Spink Community Development Association Spink €470.00
• St. Berndette's Community Hall Errill €3,970.00
• St. Brigid's LGFA Ballylinan €1,199.00
• Stradbally GAA Stradbally €2,527.00
• Stradbally Social Services Council Ltd Stradbally €470.00
• Stradbally SVP Stradbally €470.00
• SVT Canoeing & Kayaking Club Vicarstown €845.00
• The Blooms Lady Birds Ballybrophy €1,478.00
• The Rock GAA Club Mountmellick €1,997.00
• The Swan Development Committee Wolfhill €470.00
• The Swan Ladies Club Wolfhill €1,392.00
• The Swan N.S. Parents Association Wolfhill €2,125.00
• Tigh Mochua Le Chéile Timahoe €1,000.00
• Timahoe Community Hall Timahoe €1,816.00

Read also: Help to fill in forms brings €3 million to Laois community groups

• Timahoe GAA Club Timahoe €450.00
• Timahoe National School Parents Association Timahoe €3,000.00
• Ukrianian Laois Support Association Portlaoise €450.00
• Vicarstown Community Hall Committee Vicarstown €1,250.00
• Vicarstown Old Community Centre Stradbally €4,280.00
• Vicarstown Youth Club Vicarstown €450.00
• White Horse Indoor Bowls Club Mountrath €450.00
• Wolfhill Development Group Woolhill €1,000.00
• Women's Shed Portlaoise Portlaoise €300.00

The Local Enhancement Programme 2025 was launched in November 2024, replacing the Community Enhancement Programme. It gave grants to 5,000 recipients across Ireland out of a fund of €7 million, which included €1 million in current funding so support local groups with ongoing running costs.

The funding also provides capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas.