Fenagh’s fight for funding: community calls for votes in €1 million AIB contest

The tiny parish of Fenagh is punching above its weight in a national race for funding—and locals are calling on the public to help them win a share of AIB’s €1 million Community Fund.

Fenagh Development Company has been nominated under the Connaught region, and with enough votes, could secure a major boost for their ongoing work in the village.

“This is about more than just one project,” said Paul Keegan, manager of Fenagh Development Company. “It’s about keeping rural communities alive. Every vote we get brings us closer to improving facilities for local families and securing the future of what we’ve built here in Fenagh.”

Over the past 20 years, the group has transformed a crumbling parish hall into a thriving visitor centre with a coffee shop and the only indoor soft play area in the county. They’ve added a preschool, extra meeting rooms, a playground, footpaths, street lighting, and a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system—powered by volunteers, local support, and a patchwork of grants.

“We’ve come a long way through grit, graft and community spirit,” said Keegan. “Now we’re asking people near and far to get behind us and help tip the scales.”

Many of these developments were made possible with help from Leitrim County Council, the LEADER programme, Pobal, CLÁR, and international backers like the International Fund for Ireland. But with rural populations declining and funding harder to access, outside support is now more important than ever.

Voting is quick and open to everyone—no matter where you live.

“All you need is your name, email, and one sentence saying why you’re nominating us,” Keegan explained. “Make sure to include our name—Fenagh Development Company—our registration number 20030995, and pick ‘Connaught’ as the region and ‘Other’ as the theme. That’s it. One vote per email. You don’t need to be an AIB customer, or even live in Ireland.”

The deadline to vote is June 25, and every single nomination counts. Vote here https://aib.ie/personal-forms/community-fund

“We’re the underdogs here, no doubt about it,” said Keegan. “But with the support of the county—and our diaspora—we have a real shot. We are urging everyone—from Cloone to Canada—to vote, share, and help keep Fenagh thriving.”

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