Minister Humphreys visits and opens a range of Rural Development Projects across County Meath

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Minister Humphreys visits and opens a range of Rural Development Projects across County Meath

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD visits Bective GFC
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County-wide

Meath County Council welcomed Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, to Meath to officially open and visit a range of projects across the County which have received funding from her department.

Minister Humphreys began her trip in Ballivor to officially open St. Kinneth’s, a once disused building which will now provide a much-needed community space for the area.  Ballivor Tidy Towns, St. Kinneth’s Church Renovation Committee and Ballivor Community Library Group were acknowledged on the day for the efforts they made in collaboration with Meath County Council to bring the project to fruition.

The Minster then went to Enfield to officially open the new Community & Enterprise Hub. The hub will provide greatly needed facilities and deliver a range of cultural, educational, and social activities for the local community. The project directly responded to the need identified by Enfield Development Group for a multipurpose community and enterprise hub with meetings rooms, kitchen facilities and storage.  The project received over €1.5m in funding under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

The Minister then travelled to Bective GFC, where she officially opened the Broadband Connection Point network in Meath. The 16 sites across the county all provide free outdoor WIFI for anyone visiting their grounds with many also able to facilitate indoor access.

Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council Cllr. Nick Killian welcomed the delivery of the Broadband Connection Points saying “the BCPs have been a great benefit for the county with some fantastic initiatives being delivered for residents through them. Today we got to meet the families who are part of the OurKidsCode and the local Active Retirement Group who have been developing their skills with the Acorn tablets provided from Meath Libraries.”

The Minister’s final stop on this visit to Meath was Trim to officially open the newly built Trim Library & Cultural Centre. The site of the historic Methodist Chapel on High Street has been transformed into a new library and major performance space. Funded under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, together with match funding from Meath County Council, the project has been delivered at an overall cost of €9 million. This project demonstrates a significant investment in the Trim area that will contribute to the economic, social, and cultural regeneration of the town centre.

Speaking at the opening, Minister Humphreys said, “I think it’s fair to say that the scale of this investment really does speak to the level of ambition shown by the local community in coming forward with superb ideas and locally led plans. This visit to Meath also demonstrates the vision that underpins our landmark rural development strategy ‘Our Rural Future’. That’s to deliver projects that make our rural towns and villages more thriving, inclusive, and sustainable places for our citizens and our families. People are choosing to live in rural areas, because of the quality of life, the beautiful natural and built heritage and, above all, that sense of community.”

Concluding Meath County Council Chief Executive Jackie Maguire said “I am especially privileged to be here to witness the delivery of this fantastic and much awaited cultural project for the town.  This new facility will enable many local arts, community, and library groups to deliver their vital work right in the heart of Trim. I wish all many happy years of music, drama and reading in this wonderful setting.”