Kilmore United FC is to receive €5,000 funding under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative launched last September by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.

Open to sports clubs across the 26-counties, irrespective of sporting discipline, size, membership, age, cultural appeal or gender, the initiative saw a fund of EUR130,000 being made available by Valero for distribution in equal amounts of EUR5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis.

Congratulating the club on its success, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited said, “A feature evident in almost all applications was the pressure felt by clubs in the current circumstances to expand their role within their local communities with increased membership demands and the need for extra equipment and improved facilities.”

“The purpose of our initiative is to help clubs to overcome these obstacles so that they can continue to remain active and at the very heart of their local communities. This is why we believe our initiative has been so warmly welcomed by sports clubs nationwide in its launch year,” he added.

One of almost 400 clubs countrywide to make application under the scheme, Kilmore United has a 190-strong membership and fields two men’s teams, six under-18 teams and one women’s team.

The club is based at Abby Troy Park, named in memory of one of its young female members who passed away suddenly in 2017 at the very young age of 16 years – a loss they say ‘has affected our Club and community deeply’.

The €5,000 award made to Kilmore United under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative will be used to complete the development of their grounds in her name and fund efforts to attract more young women and girls to participate in sport.

Overseeing the adjudication process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, acclaimed broadcaster and former Irish rugby international, Donncha O’Callaghan. Commenting, he described the club as ‘a template for what all good clubs should be. A real worthy winner’.