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Local coastal community groups and micro enterprises will benefit among 62 grants worth more than €900,000 awarded by Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) under Ireland’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme (EMFF).

Announcing the grant awards totalling €915,295, Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue hailed the success of the FLAG scheme and said: “This is testament not just to the demand for such local development funding in our coastal communities but very much to the hard work of the local volunteers, many drawn from our seafood and wider marine sectors, who make up the boards of each of our seven FLAGs.”

The minister added: “I believe that the FLAG initiative has significant additional potential in the years ahead to further drive start-ups and the development of seafood and marine businesses in our coastal communities and can be a key element of our strategy in mitigating the impacts of Brexit on our coastal communities.”

Among the recipients in this final allocation are a festival to celebrate Bantry Bay botanist Ellen Hutchins and a feasibility study for renewable energy generation on Achill Island.

The FLAG scheme is now closed, having expended its full allocation, and the minister’s department says a process will be initiated as part of the preparation of the new Seafood Development Programme 2021-27 to appoint FLAGs for the next programme period from 2022.

Details of the individual grant awards are set out below (applicant; project title; suppprt rate; total investment; grant aid):

FLAG West

• Séamus O'Flatharta; Inis Oírr Glamping and Campsite; 40%; €17,460; €6,984
• Oranmore Castle; Oranmore Castle Cultural Centre; 40%; €42,553; €17,021
• Cuan Beo CLG Cuan Beo; Implementing a holistic approach to sustainability in Galway Bay 2020; 80%; €16,191; €12,953
• Spiddal Craft & Design Centre; Online marketing campaign; 80%; €6,500; €5,200

FLAG North West

• Ballyglass Crew; Ballyglass Crew Yachtmaster; 50%; €5,300; €2,650
• Eachtrai UISCE Teoranta T/A UISCE; Training application; 50%; €21,741; €10,870
• Sligo Rowing Club Co Ltd; Purchase of safety launch boat; 80%; €9,185; €7,348
• Bellacragher Boat Club; Printing of Claggan Ferry maps, drop-down banners, social media promotion, signs and provision of two RIB shore trailers; 60%; €15,539; €9,323
• Todhchaí Phobail Acla; To assess the feasibility of Achill Island becoming a community owned electricity and hydrogen producer through wind power; 80%; €24,280; €19,424
• Ballycroy Community Council Ltd; Ballycroy Greenway Desktop feasibility with potential design works; 80%; €15,000; €12,000
• Mayo County Council; Feasibility study on the construction of a slipway on Clare Island; 60%; €25,000; €15,000
• Mayo County Council; Westport Lido (outdoor swimming pool - tidal); 50%; €24,944; €12,500
• The Lost Valley; Support coastal heritage and tourism by improvements to access route; 40%; €99,518; €39,807
• Rosses Point Development Association CLG & Sligo County Council; Feasibility Study for Sligo Community Boat Park; 25%; €193,860; €48,465
• Belderrig Dev Committee Ltd; Restoration of road to carpark at Belderrig Harbour; 50%; €41,841; €20,920
• Tullaghan Development Association; Developing marine tourism for Co Leitrim; 80%; €1,861; €1,489
• St Colman's Care Centre CLG; St Colman's Care Centre - upgrade existing facilities and equipment; 80%; €56,515; €45,212
• River Moy Search and Rescue Ballina CLG; Water conservation in the Moy Catchment area; 80%; €6,096; €4,877
• Leitrim County Council; Feasibility study - Exploring sea access at Leitrim consultation scoping document - Wild Atlantic Way; 100%; €3,075; €3,075
• Neart Acla CTR; Achill Traditional Currach Project; 80%; €24,996; €19,996

FLAG North

• Iontaobhas Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair; Rochtain do chathaoireacha rothaí, ráillí láimhe agus balla carrchlóis; 80%; €44,000; €35,200
• Glenties Community Playgroup Limited; To develop a creative and imaginative outdoor environment which will be designed to a nautical pirate theme; 80%; €39,500; €31,600
• Ardara Artists Resource Centre; Renovate existing building in Ardara to enable it to be used by the community; 80%; €48,750; €39,000
• St Catherine’s Vocational School; Learning in area of cultural, arts, marine; 80%; €49,455; €39,564
• Donegal County Council; Provision of scenic viewing points and improved tourism access at Melmore, Downings, Donegal; 60%; €52,300, €31,380.00
• 18th Donegal Moville Port Sea Scouts; RYA Level 1 & 2 Power Boat, RYA Foundation Safety Rescue Training, RYA Sail Training; 51% €4,800; €2,448
• Cara Na nOilean Teo; Modernisation of ferry Coll; 32%; €96,087; €30,747.84
• Mullinasole Bay Water Sports Club; Mullinasole Bay Access Regeneration Phase 1; 51%; €63,400; €32,334
• KT Nets; Upgrade of facilities at KT Nets; 32%; €128,666; €41,173.12
• Teach Bhillie; Síneadh agus uasghradú le foirgneach Theach Bhillie; 25%; €91,600; €22,900

FLAG North East

• Baldoyle Forum CLG; Baldoyle Community Hall Development Feasibility Study; 80%; €10,000; €8,000
• Rush Tourism; Pirate sculpture for Rush; 80%; €11,604; €9,283
• Skerries Rowing Club; Design team fees for Skerries Rowing Club boathouse; 80%; €34,930; €27,944

FLAG South East

• Ladies Cove Community Coastal Project; Improvement works to Ladies Cove; 80%; €30,687; €24,549
• Bannow Historical Society; Training in maritime heritage preservation and celebration; 80%; €12,728; €10,182
• Passage East Hurling Club; Beat the Ferryman Swim; 60%; €1,670; €1,000
• Hook Rural Tourism Ltd; Hike to the Hook 2020 and social media development; 60%; €4,180; €2,504

FLAG South West

• Valentia Island Way; Cookery school and demonstration kitchen; 37%; €21,657; €7,997
• Irish Coastal Rowing Federation; All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships 2021; 80%; €20,548; €16,438
• Dingle Sea Safari Limited; Passenger vessel; 50%; €50,460; €25,000
• Patrick Browne; Supply of local markets with fish from boat to table directly from MFV Ocean Dawn; 50%; €5,340; €2,670
• Badoiri an Bhlascaoid Teoranta; Self-drive hire boats; 25%; €44,142; €11,035
• Kerry Aqua Terra Limited; Boat, equipment and crew protection from elements; 50%; €4,950; €2,475
• The Dingle Way Coastal Trail; Cultural marine information boards and seating areas; 80%; €12,196; €9,757
• Valentia Rowing Club; One design rowing racing boat and oars, traditional four-oar boat trailer and launching trolley; 77%; €6,500; €5,000
• Irish Elasmobranch Group; Underwater survey drone; 80%; €8,480; €6,784
• Blascaoid Mór Teoranta; Equipment boat package; 25%; €23,163; €5,790
• Dingle Harbour Boat Hire; Purchase of equipment and boats; 28%; €47,894; €13,293
• Éigse na Brídeoige; Éigse Online: a series of performances, talks, seminars and interviews on the song tradition of Kerry; 80%; €2,000; €1,600

FLAG South

• Cumann Na Daoine; Building community resilience and understanding of climate change as it will impact very directly on coastal communities; 80%; €6,751; €5,401
• Ellen Hutchins Festival; She Gathered Seaweed on the Seashore: Celebrating the Botany of Bantry Bay; 62%; €3,250; €2,000
• Ard na Gaoithe; Support to sustain and diversify Ard na Gaoithe B&B and Cape Clear Foodie Stall; 40%; €2,562; €1,024
• Roaring Water Marine; Equipment to expand business; 50%; €1,719; €859
• Bantry Bay Boat Hire Limited; New kayaks, equipment and boat engine; 50%; €9,325; €4,662
• Roaring Water Sea Vegetable Company Limited; Processing unit; 50%; €17,490; €8,745
• Schull Regatta; Schull Regatta 2021; 40%; €4,821; €2,000
• Galley Flash Rowing Club; Maximising equipment resources 2021 Sculling Oars; 80%; €1,060; €848
• Skibbereen Rowing Club; Safety launch; 80%; €8,275; €6,620
• ZT Fish Company Limited; Mobile retail unit; 50%; €23,495; €11,747
• Travara Shellfish Limited; Infrastructure and equipment; 50%; €23,827; €11,913
• Myross Rowing Club Company Limited; Club fleet upgrade; 65%; €7,750; €5,000
• Allihies Seafood Limited; Developing a sustainable micro-algae cultivation and processing facility; 50%; €83,401; €41,700