Two of Ireland’s biggest yacht clubs shared top awards in a €500,000 payout to 16 Irish Sailing Clubs in the Government’s Sports Capital Programme announced last week. The full list of beneficiaries is here.

Dublin’s Howth Yacht Club and National Yacht Club both got €77,000 in the Governments main vehicle for supporting the development of sports facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment.

The Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring announced grants of €40.5 million for 880 sports projects across the country last week, sailing getting a small share in the divvy up. The Sports Capital Programme is the Government’s main vehicle to distribute funds. The facilities being funded range from small-scale equipment grants, to regionally significant centres of sporting excellence.