Urlingford Town Team granted €300,000 for town hall refurbishment

A welcomed Government investment towards the refurbishment of the Urlingford Community Hall is a further vote of confidence in the future of the North Kilkenny town, says the voluntary organisation behind a number of the town’s revitalising projects.

The town is celebrating as the Urlingford Town Team has been allocated €300,000 towards a major refurbishment of the community centre under the Community Centre Investment Fund.

The funding was announced (on December 8) by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, along with the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD, as part of a €33 million package for the upgrade and development of 278 Community Centres nationwide.

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Works at the former Urlingford dance hall will include the replacement of the asbestos roof, as well as external insulation and reinforcing the concrete walls. 

Project lead with Urlingford Town Team, Dympna Hayes says one of the group’s main priorities was to ensure that Urlingford had a multipurpose community centre that would support the whole community.

“This funding announcement will make that a reality to ensure the preservation of our iconic parochial hall and the historic ‘small hall’.”

“It’s a vote of confidence in the future of Urlingford, as well as in the work of the Urlingford Town Team,” says Ms Hayes. 

“Our team has worked hard to secure this result. We would like to thank Fr Ollie Maher whose support made our funding application possible, and also Kilkenny County Council and our local councillors for their strong cooperation,” Ms Hayes says.

She thanked Minister Humphreys and her team for their continued support which would “help to regenerate Urlingford and make it a place where people want to live and work”.

Announcing the investment, Minister Humphreys says the local community centres were at the heart of our towns, villages and parishes right across the country, providing a wide and diverse range of services and activities.”