Athenry Community Playground will be undergoing over €150,000 worth of major upgrades in the new year with help from funding from LEADER.
Volunteers from Athenry Community Playground Group spent 2025 fundraising for the upgrades by hosting community events like Athenry’s Big Day Out, and raised over €25,000 toward the renovations.
Galway County Council also promised €40,000 of local property tax, which is used as match funding for the grant.
Athenry Community Council and Galway Rural Development worked with the group to get €122,992 through the LEADER programme 2023-2027.
The community-owned playground is over 20 years old and missing key equipment, which had to be removed for safety reasons after it began rotting.
“Children will soon be able to enjoy the playground in its full capacity,” said Dr Michelle McMahon, treasurer of ACPG. “The new equipment will have something for everyone, with special sensory and mobility elements for children with differing abilities.”
The new play elements pull from Athenry’s heritage town. “The playground is in the centre of town, between the Athenry Castle and the priory. It was important to us that the playground didn’t detract from the surrounding scenery,” said Erin Maglione, chairperson.
The new equipment, provided by Kompan, will include long-lasting weather resistant timber in a medieval theme, with a large castle climbing frame for older children and a medieval town styled junior play area.
Swing sets will also be upgraded to include multi-use swings, which will encourage parents to participate in play with their children.
This upgrade is just the beginning for Athenry, according to the group, who are actively working with Athenry Community Council to provide additional space for a teen-oriented amenity and has approached Galway County Council for help.
Unlike council owned playgrounds in Tuam and Loughrea which have designated teen spaces, Athenry playground does not currently offer any such amenity because the county council who insure the playground, will not insure a designated teen space.
“It’s an issue of ownership,” explained Shauna Coll, ACPG secretary. “There is no county council owned property in Athenry that can be used and insured as a teen space.”
“As excited as we are to be able to upgrade the playground, we acknowledge that there is a large group of our community still lacking a social space, and we want to work to remedy that.”
The group hopes the Town Centre First Programme and Galway County Council will be able to provide something for teens in Athenry.
The LEADER funded renovation is the first step for Athenry Playground and a major boost to the community, according to ACPG, but they are not stopping there. For more information on their plans visit athenryplayground.ie.
