Fermanagh County Board and clubs within the county have been awarded a total of £751,279 from the Sport NI Sustainability Fund, which is designed to provide much needed support to alleviate financial hardship as a result of Covid-19.

This is the second wave of funding announced so far, with £22,395,800 handed out to sporting bodies and clubs throughout Northern Ireland to date.

The GAA have been one of the big benefactors with Ulster GAA receiving £7,380,382 which included funds for county boards and clubs.

The Fermanagh County Board received over £191,000 from the fund while Roslea, Belnaleck, Derrygonnelly and Tempo secured the biggest awards among the clubs in the county.

Indeed, Roslea received the second highest amount of any GAA club in Northern Ireland with the Shamrocks awarded £121,837. Belnaleck received £76,813, Derrygonnelly got £72,401 with Tempo gaining £66,079.

In all, 18 clubs in Fermanagh received funding, including two Ladies clubs and two hurling clubs, while a number of clubs including Derrylin, Coa, Ederney, Teemore, Devenish and Erne Gaels did not benefit from it.

Tiernach Mahon, who was the Co-Ordinator for Fermanagh GAA for the fund, explains how the figures were arrived at.

“It was taken on clubs revenue over the previous three years and it would be calculated then on a Sport NI formula, they would use that formula to calculate what the loss was for clubs.

“This was a set application form from Sport NI, it was the same for everyone. Clubs put in their figures and had to submit their accounts and accompanying bank statements to vouch that this was the money that they turned over.

“It then broke them down and calculated the actual amount,” he said.

However, Mahon warns that this should not be looked on as a windfall for clubs.

“It is not a windfall, this money is to cover needs within the clubs. People shouldn’t think that clubs are now flush with money, it is purely and simply to expedite plans that clubs had to keep them going. Clubs suffered during lockdown because there was no fundraising and no money coming in but they still had demands and this will hopefully alleviate a lot of the pressures that clubs are under,” he added.

Fermanagh Treasurer, Sean Burns says that the £191,630 received by the County Board is a welcome boost to the county’s finances.

“As Treasurer of Fermanagh GAA, I would like to thank the Executive, the Department for Communities and Sport NI for their management of the funding process and we are delighted we were successful in being allocated £191,000 which will be a great help in sustaining GAA in Fermanagh during this difficult pandemic.

“Everyone is aware that the income stream has gone through the floor since last March so this is very welcome as it helps to fill in holes from that period,” he commented.

FERMANAGH GAA SPORT NI SPORT SUSTAINABILITY FUND AWARDS

Fermanagh GAA - £191,630

Belcoo O’Rahillys - £8,375

Belnaleck Art McMurroughs - £76,813

Brookeborough - £8,340

Derrygonnelly Harps - £72,401

Enniskillen Gaels - £16,915

Heber MacMahon Ladies Brookeborough - £2,758

Kinawley Brian Borus - £31,706

Knockinney Gaels Derrylin & Teemore Ladies - £5,045

Knocks Grattans Hurling Club - £12,666

Lisbellaw St. Patrick’s - £2,687

Lisnaskea Emmetts - £14,619

Newtownbutler First Fermanaghs - £44,061

Roslea Shamrocks - £121,837

St. Marys Maguiresbridge - £11,401

St. McCartans Aughadrumsee - £14,541

St. Molaises Irvinestown - £25,401

St Patricks Donagh - £24,004

Tempo Maguires - £66,079

County Total - £751,279