Funding withdrawn for Ballintubber community project amid ‘deep disappointment’

A Mayo community has just been dealt a blow with the decision to not include their project in a current government program.

A car park in Ballintubber, at the Celtic Furrow coffee place, is described by the community as a safety risk.

It's a gravel car park, with lots of potholes, no markings and no bus shelter for children, getting the school bus into Castlebar.

The Celtic Furrow car park is an integral piece of community infrastructure and is in daily use by people of all ages.

It serves as a designated drop-off and pick-up point and in its current gravel condition it is increasingly unsafe, particularly in wet weather and during busy periods.

"Given the scale and diversity of use, the current condition of the car park presents clear safety and accessibility risks, particularly for children, older people, wheelchair users, and parents with buggies," says Suellen McKenna, on behalf of Ballintubber Abbey Trust, Ballintubber Community Council, Crave at the Cottage.

The plan was to develop the car park, include a shelter, markings and tar the surface with costs estimated at €70,000.

The Mayo News understands, that funding for this project was in line to be included in the government program, called CLÁR.

The program, CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais), is a targeted investment programme for rural areas that aims to provide funding for small infrastructural projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. 

'DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT'

But now, the CLÁR 2025 funding for the car park at the Celtic Furrow has been withdrawn. This news has been met with deep disappointment by Ballintubber Abbey Trust and by the wider community.

Mayo County Council submitted 15 projects plus one Gaeltacht project (16 in total) under CLÁR 2025. Of these, 10 projects (9 plus one Gaeltacht) were approved. This reflects the national pattern, where the maximum number of projects approved per county was 10.

"Following receipt of the decision, we sought clarification from the Department," a statement from the Ballintubber community read: "We were advised that, due to budgetary constraints, projects were approved based on eligibility for CLÁR funding and the priority ranking applied by Mayo County Council. The Department has further confirmed that there will be no additional funding announcements under CLÁR 2025."

The impact of this decision is significant for Ballintubber. The Celtic Furrow car park supports:

• Ballintubber Abbey Trust offices, the spiritual and historical anchor of the village
• The newly opened Crave at the Cottage coffee shop, used daily by families, elderly residents, and visitors
• Ballintubber Community Council meetings and events in the Scióbal
• The Celtic Furrow Heritage Site and community garden, due to reopen shortly following restoration works
• A bus collection and drop-off point for local secondary school students, many waiting on-site morning and afternoon
• Children travelling to the BECKS swimming programme each Saturday from Ballintubber, Errew, Clogher, and Killawalla
• AA group meetings, held weekly, providing essential support services in a discreet and accessible setting

"We understand that CLÁR 2026 is expected to be announced in Quarter 1 of 2026, and we intend to re-submit this project at that time. However, we are extremely concerned that the community must continue to rely on an unsafe and unsuitable facility in the interim," writes Suellen McKenna.

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