The Fund In Your Area
Removing Barriers to Rural Development Project, Co. Donegal and Co. Tyrone
Many rural community groups, simply because of their size or lack of experience in securing funding are not in a position to take full advantage of the programmes and grants available to them. This in turn reduces their capacity to interact with other groups on both sides of the border, thus making sustainable progress and meaningful reconciliation difficult.
The International Fund supported the cross-border, cross-sectoral Tyrone Donegal Partnership in developing a project known as “Removing Barriers to Rural Development”, which is designed to provide small, disadvantaged and isolated groups in Donegal and Tyrone with the support needed to implement cross-border projects that will contribute to enhancing the economic, social and environmental conditions in their areas. In operation since June 2005, the assistance available through the Removing Barriers Project includes cross-border information and advice, capacity building programmes, mentoring services to help develop community group initiatives, and a small grants programme.
All four elements of the programme have been well received - over 300 groups have sought information on the programme and almost 70 development plans have been assisted under Action 2 Mentoring. In total, 37 projects have been funded through the small grants programme. These cross-border initiatives vary in type and in nature but fall under 4 main criteria of natural resources, rural tourism/crafts ,cross border arts and culture and the stimulation of rural enterprise on a cross-border basis.
Feedback on the project and the assistance that it has provided has been very positive;
Michael Gallagher from Ballyshannon Brass and Reed Band said that: "The project has been an absolute dream. We have got so much out of it, especially in terms of the relationship which has been developed between ourselves and the Roughan Band in Ballygawley. When they came to play in Rossnowlagh we knew some of them were apprehensive as some of them had not been across the border before for many years, but the recepion they got from local people was tremendous. We were equally well received when we went to play in Aughnacloy. Without the funding this relationship would not have been initiated and we certainly hope to keep the relationship going in the future."
Kenny McFarland from Villages Together, Ballymagroarty stated :
"It was absolutely uncanny how myself and Mary in St Johnstons "clicked" when we met to discuss how we would move the project forward. We found that although our communities are separated by a mile of water and many miles of road we had so much in common and it is clear that the funding will allow us to strengthen the relationship very much. We have held one event so far which was excellent and we are really looking forward to the next one."
The overall cost of the project is €911,500 / £624,315 with the International Fund contributing €227,875 / £156,078. The balance of the funding came from the INTERREG IIIA programme, and the Partnership’s own resources.
For further information on the Removing Barriers project, visit www.removingbarriers.net.
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The Lough Foyle Car Ferry Project
The Lough Foyle Car Ferry Project was established under the auspices of the NWRCBG (North West Region Cross Border Group) through Donegal County Council and Limavady Borough Council in 2002 to provide a direct route between two areas on each side of the border - Magilligan Point in the borough of Limavady and Greencastle Harbour in Co. Donegal – where no previous link existed.
The year round commercial roll on/roll/off ferry service made its first sailing in June 2002 and it has proved to be a major success. By July 2005, it had celebrated carrying over one million passengers.
The project has been responsible for the direct creation of 10 full time jobs as part of the ferry service. In addition, it has provided infrastructure that is supporting tourism and economic development not only to the direct area, but also the wider north coast and Donegal. The ferry service has acted as a catalyst for wider tourism growth by attracting increasing numbers of tourists to the region.
As a result, additional funding has been secured through the European Union’s INTERREG IIIA Programme to provide marketing support and training to the tourism sector in the area.
Known as Atlantic Drift, the project was to establish a touring route from the Causeway Coast to North and West Donegal. This aim has been met with the construction of tourist information signage along the route and the publication of tourism literature covering the routes and the creation of virtual touring routes online.
Funding for the £4.2m / €6.1m Lough Foyle Car Ferry Project was provided by the European Union Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (£2m / €2.9m), the International Fund for Ireland (£1m / €1.46m) and the Irish Government (£0.7m / €1,022,000), along with contributions from Limavady and Donegal County Councils (£0.5m / €730,000).
For more information on the Lough Foyle Ferry visit www.loughfoyleferry.com.
