Success  >  Success Stories by Sector and County

Community Loan Success Stories - Sports & Culture

Organisations benefiting include; Community & Voluntary, Charities, Sports Clubs, Social Enterprises and organisations tackling community, social and environmental issues.

Clann Credo is a charity and recycles capital repayments into new loans to continuously increase the Community Loan Finance available so more community organisations can benefit in the future.

As Ireland’s largest social finance provider, we have re-imagined lending and believe that finance can be a catalyst for good in communities.



Turning an abandoned station into a home for a scout group is no easy feat, but the Sixmilebridge Scout Group have given the historic station house a new lease of life.

There is history attached to the Abbey Arts & Cultural Centre, in the town of Ballyshannon, The very building from which a hugely diverse programme of arts activities are overseen and ran.

State of the art development with four dressing rooms, public toilets, community meeting room and a function room.

Success in high performance athletics requires constant investment in people, facilities and programmes. Adamstown Athletic Club’s new equipment will help to keep competitors on their toes.

At least one half of this proud football club can trace its origins all the way back to a Saturday afternoon card game in the local pub.

Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair, located in Donegal’s well-known Gweedore Gaeltacht, has played a key role in cultivating local musical talent, playing host to Enya, Clannad and Altan over the years.

The Emigrants and Diaspora Centre (Ionad Cuimhneacháin na nImirceach agus an Diaspóra) in the village of Carna - a citadel to emigrants.

Established in 2009, Ashbourne Baseball Club is now pre-eminent among clubs in Ireland, often hosting major national tournaments and fixtures.

Clann Credo provided short term funding for the development of a new IT centre that augments local skills and mitigates loneliness among older community members in Askamore.

In their search for a suitably sized and centrally located premises, the Association came upon an old ESB warehouse in Drogheda, which they subsequently acquired.

Clann Credo's support enabled the Athboy Archery Club to purchase specialised archery equipment to help the Club participate in a greater number of events and create a more inclusive environment.

Take me to the River! Athlone Boat Club is invests in new state-of-the-art facilities to ensure its future at the heart of the community.

The Aughnamullen Sports, Leisure & Social Development Association dreamed of turning their local GAA club house into a community focal point. Financing from Clann Credo made this dream a reality.

Over the last two decades a range of sporting bodies in the Ballaghadareen, County Roscommon, have worked cooperatively to improve the range and level of sporting facilities.

Their 180 members have the use of a full sized pitch, floodlights, dressing rooms and meeting rooms. Due to local demand the Club have provided the use of a track around the existing football field.

With financial support from Clann Credo, the community in Ballybane has built its own state of the art Community Centre.

Ballyhooly is a vibrant village in North Cork and since 2009 the community has gone through a number of improvements.

Located in the town of Ballycroy, on the Mayo coastline, Bellacragher Boat Club delivers high-calibre training in all aspects of boat handling, maintenance and navigation.

In order to secure the Heritage Park into the future and build on that initial success – it is highly rated as an attraction on tourism sites such as Tripadvisor –Clann Credo provided support to help.

With the co-operation and support of the hurling club, drama club and wider community the organisation developed a community centre to facilitate the needs of all the community.

Along with the usual soccer programmes, Cahir Park hosts the Football for All programme that is aimed at giving children with disabilities from the ages of 6 to 16 a chance to meet every Sunday.

In 2014, Camp Community Council developed an AstroTurf pitch available to all the community and the surrounding areas. Clann Credo provided finance to cash flow the work.

When the people of Castledaly required short-term financial assistance, they turned to Clann Credo.

Charleville Community Sports Complex Limited's first project was a full sized all weather pitch and a smaller all-weather play area with floodlighting was completed in October 2015.

An historic building re-imagined as a community centre upgrades to keep up with the times.

Floodlighting and community walkway - a small community with big ambitions!

The group were badly in need of an updated premises to meet their needs and had a simple but ambitious plan: to develop a new integrated Youth Information and Health Service incorporating a Youth Café

For almost 50 years many of the local youth have looked to Dungarvan Scouts as a key outlet for activities and the development of essential outdoor skills and needed a new gear to expand their skills.

Despite the success, East Meath FC soon faced a threat to its very existence, when financial difficulties saw the developer seek repossession of the site in order to put it up for sale.

When seeking to finance the purchase of three new boats and sails for older vessels, Galway Sea Scouts sought the support of Clann Credo.

The efforts of local residents paid off handsomely as they secured possession of the 100 year old garda barracks that is closely associated with John McGahern’s work and life.

Creating a Music Bank, with members borrowing and using the instruments as required, it would house the necessary staging and amplifications equipment, but at quite a price.

Kyle GAA Club nestles in the borderlands between Tipperary, Offaly and Laois, although it is the latter county that the club calls home.

Following consultation across the community, Leitrim Sports and Recreation Development devised a plan that would address a range of deficits in both the sporting and recreational spheres

No community occasion would be complete without the sound of the Mullingar Town Band!

Founded in 1970, Newport Town AFC has grown from humble beginnings to a modern club with top-class playing facilities and currently have a playing membership of more than 300 people.

With their current space no longer supporting the needs of the community, Portarlington accepted that a new space might be exactly what they required to maximize their programs.

Raheny GAA recently secured support from Clann Credo for significant improvement works on its premises. It is just one of many clubs that have benefited from our support over the years.

In 2011, the building from which the group had operated for 17 years became available for purchase. An application for loan finance was submitted to Clann Credo to help finance the purchase.

Members of the Skerries Chamber of Commerce and volunteers in the Community wanted to develop a small park between the two commercial streets in the town.

Reeling them in! Improving access to Spring Lake for local anglers, visitors and international competitions.

Founded over 40 years ago in the County Wexford town, St Michael’s has established a strong reputation and track at both national and international level.

Stella Maris FC has not only provided legendary international footballers, but also plays a significant part of the community in Dublin. Clann Credo has helped them create a 'Field of Dreams'.

For over 25 years, Straide and Foxford United have flown the flag for the ‘beautiful game’ in Mayo, after the two formerly independent clubs joined forces, in 1989.

With the support of Clann Credo, the new and improved Tullow Tennis club has become a powerful example of how communities can rebuild and rejuvenate from within.

Wexford Arts Centre, established in 1974, is the oldest regional arts centre in Ireland. Its mission: Arts for All, Arts for Life.

Since moving to their new premises, Wexford Gymnastics Club have approximately 1000 children coming through their doors every week and have begun competing in new disciplines.

The Wicklow Regatta Festival was first staged in 1878 and is mentioned in James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses. Now it's an eclectic festival encompassing, arts, heritage, community and sport.