Eleven projects receive funding to go ‘green’

CARLOW Co Council has announced that 11 community projects across the county have received funding from the IPB Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) for 2026 to help them become more sustainable.

In total, €50,000 was awarded to projects in Carlow. Eleven out of the 19 community projects who applied received funding.

The biggest award given was €7,500 to County Carlow Environment Network for them to host a series of public workshops on how to create food forests. Carlow Beekeepers Association received just over €3,000 to create a place for hosing volunteers and workshops and to upgrade their facilities. Tinryland Community Hub CLG got almost €3,740 to put on a series of sustainable food growing workshops for the community.

Ardattin Community Group received €1,230 to conduct an energy audit of the community hall to guide future decarbonisation and retrofit investment. Likewise, Carlow Town Sustainable Energy Community were awarded €6,150 for energy audits to be carried out in a number of community facilities.

Bagenalstown Area Community Development Group and Presentation de la Salle College, Bagenalstown were jointly given €4,735 to buy bikes to encourage active travel in the community. Bagenalstown Improvement Group and Bagenalstown FC have been given €5,749 to install a rainwater harvesting system at Bagenalstown FC facilities.

Ballinkellen Lorum Community Centre Club have been awarded €6,741.58 to upgrade the windows in the community hall.

Ballymurphy Hall Committee were given €3,400 to replace internal lights with LED lights.

Develop Tullow Association and Climate Action Committee received almost €6,000 for a range of biodiversity and environmental measures, including rainwater harvesting.

St Fiacc’s Swimming Pool and Community Hall CLG got €1,760 to buy smart meters to monitor and reduce energy consumption.

The LEAF fund is supported by IPB Insurance as part of the company’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

"Carlow Co Council is extremely grateful to IPB Insurance for their support in making this fund possible,” said Coilín O'Reilly, chief executive, Carlow Co Council.