Massive ¤840k boost for a new Mountain Bike Centre
COOLANEY was celebrating yesterday after the Government announced funding of over ¤840,000 for the Coolaney National Mountain Bike Centre.
The funding will go towards the building of the centre and delighted organisers now believe it will be built by this time next year.
“It’s fantastic news and we’re over the moon,” said Damien McGuinn of the Centre Steering Group.
“It’s been a long time coming, we’ve been campaigning for this since 2012. It’s finally great to see significant funding delivered,” he said.
Damien says the money will be enough to “kick off the building process” as the group have already lodged a planning application with Sligo County Council.
“Our hope would be that within the next 12 months we’ ll have a facility to offer tourists,” he said. All the feasibility studies and technical evaluations are completed.
“We’re delighted for Coolaney and the tourism potential this will bring to Sligo,” Damien added.
Fine Gael Sligo Leitrim TD, Tony McLoughlin and Councillor Dara Mulvey both welcomed the announcement which also saw other Sligo projects granted funding:
• Bunduff River Walk - €5,000
Sligo Way - €10,000 Tormore recreational Trail/Sruth in Aghaidh - €7,200 Duneill Walking Trail - €8,750 Carrowkeel Walking Trail - €8,800 Ballintrillick Loop Trail - €5,000 Drumcliff Giants Grave • •
• • • • River Trail - €9,240 Mullaghmore Head Loop - €8,000 Benbulben Forest Trail - €10,000 Killaspugbrone Walking Trail - €8,000 Queen Maeve Trail - €10,000 Rathscanlon Recreational Trail - €10,000 Rosses Point Coastal Trail - €10,000 Raghly Head Coastal Loop Trail - €10,000 Sligo Way - €10,000.