£245k awarded to club named after hunger striker

DUP MLA Jim Wells asked the Minister how much grant funding had been awarded “to sports clubs that are named after people who took part in the Maze Prison hunger strikes.”

She said the names of sports clubs had no bearing on funding criteria.

“The name of a sporting organisation is not part of any assessment criteria for funding and Sport NI, which is responsible for the distribution of funding to sport, does not monitor awards that it provides to sporting clubs on the basis of whether or not they are named after people who took part in any Long Kesh/Maze hunger strike.

“I am, however, aware that in 2009/10 an award of £245,000 was made to one club, Kevin Lynch’s Hurling Club, towards the construction of changing rooms and toilet facilities,” she commented.