Under the 2006 Sports Capital Programme, Minister O'Donoghue announced funding of over 21.2m in respect of 78 national, regional and municipal sports facilities around the country on Wednesday.
Including the recent grants for local projects, the total funding under this year's Sports Capital Programme comes to 75m.
Cork Constitution FC, County Carlow RFC, Garryowen FC, Shannon RFC, St. Mary's College RFC and UCD RFC were amongst the grantees under the 2006 Sports Capital Programme. Leinster Rugby also received 80,000 to "upgrade the floodlighting of the back pitch at Donnybrook from training lights to match-playing lights" to facilitate midweek junior and schools matches.
Leinster are to also benefit from a 1m grant for the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) grounds, which is to "develop the Showjumping arena" into a "regional sports facility, specifically for the Leinster rugby team."
The capacity for Leinster matches at the RDS will be set at 15,200 with a "resurfacing of the main arena and installation of floodlights and the construction of 9,189 covered seats."
IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne in discussion with his FAI counterpart John Delaney at the Westin Hotel.
**All photos by Andrew Paton of Inpho Photography**
