Four years to build a playground!

It is just over four years since our first committee meeting and we are glad to announce that Ballinagree park and playground is open for all to enjoy. Here is a short video which highlights some of the fundraising events and volunteer work that happened during the last few years and months.

Planning Permission Granted

After much work during the past ten months with submissions and resubmissions, we are glad to announce that planning permission has recently been granted by Cork County Council for the construction of a playground, walkway, new footpath and car park alongside Saint John's Drive. Development work will commence in the near future. An application for LEADER funding has been submitted to IRD Duhallow. A table quiz will be held in the Láine Bar on Friday 8th December. Thank you for your continued support.

Public update / Newsletter

It has been a busy few months since our very successful fundraising concert in Ballinagree Church in October.

We held our AGM in the school on November 24th where we outlined both the progress made in 2016 and our plans for the year ahead. We have managed to fundraise over €20,000 in the short timeframe since forming the company and have made our objectives well known to key stakeholders such as Cork County Council, IRD Duhallow and of course our local politicians. We have secured charitable status which enables us to apply for funding. We have been successful in or application to Cork County Council planners to have the Development Plan 2016 to 2020 amended to include reference to future development facilities for Ballinagree village.

In terms of securing grant aid, which is vital to progressing our playground project, we have made a submission for funding to Cork County Council through the Municipal Grant scheme. This was applied for in early February. We have aso commenced the grant application process with IRD Duhallow.

We are in the process of securing tenders from a number of playground providers. We are also resubmitting our planning application based on feedback from the planning department and from or local area engineer.

Finally, we are most grateful to all in our local community who have supported and backed our fundraising initiatives in 2016. Ní neart go cur le chéile.

Application for planning permission for a playground in Ballinagree

We have applied for planning permission to develop a playground and walkway in Ballinagree. The following is a copy of the site layout which was submitted to the Planning Department at Cork County Council on Nov 24th 2016.

Site Layout

Playground area with examples of playground equipment

Annual General Meeting 2016

We had our first AGM on Nov 24th in Ballinagree School.
Members of the management committee outlined the progress made in the previous twelve months and a summary of  future plans was presented.
In short, over 20k euro was raised during the year and much goodwill has been generated towards the group within the community due in part to the success of the fundraising ventures. Contacts have been mad with IRD Duhallow and Cork County Council. Ballinagree Community Development Company was registered as a company and received charitable status. Planning permission for a playground and walkway has been applied at a site currently owned by Cork County Council alongside Saint John's Drive. The same management committee was re-elected for 2017.
Full details of the slides presented at the AGM can be viewed in the Documents section or here:
Public Meeting Slides Nov 24th 2016 (AGM)

Concert time in Ballinagree!

Bring your cushions! Bring your friends! Bring yourself to Ballinagree on October 8th for a CONCERT hosted by Ballinagree Community Development Group in our local church featuring the renowned soprano Cara O'Sullivan and many other fine vocalists including our very own Peggy Lynch, The Cork Prison Officers Male Voice Choir and the Local Primary Schools' Choir, Accompanying them will be well known musicians including Ger Wolfe on the guitar, Jerome Coakley on the box, Declan Buckley on the uilleann pipes and Eoin O'Callaghan on the piano. Don't miss what promises to be a night to remember. Tickets available from Shane Lehane @ 087 9979491 or Laura O'Riordan @ 086 3744575.

Southern Star Article on LEADER funding cuts

Ballinagree Community Development member Pat O'Leary recently met with The Southern Star journalist, Kieran O'Mahony, to highlight the cuts to LEADER funding for the Mid-Cork region. The following is a link to a copy of the article published 30 Jan 2016.
Southern Star Article 30 Jan 2016

In March 2016, The Southern Star highlighted cuts to LEADER funding in the another article:
Southern Star Article on LEADER Funding cuts.