Major boost for Offaly village as planning permission secured for children’s playground
Coolderry Playground Committee now shifting focus towards financing the project
PLANS for a new, state-of-the-art children’s playground in Coolderry have taken a massive leap forward.
The Coolderry Playground Committee is delighted to announce that planning permission has been granted by Offaly County Council for the construction of a Children’s Playground.
With planning permission secured, the committee is now shifting its focus toward financing the project. A comprehensive grant-seeking campaign is currently underway, including an upcoming application to the Offaly Local Development Company to secure LEADER funding.
While public grants will cover a significant portion of the construction costs, the project requires a substantial match funding element from the local community to unlock these funds.
In a major boost to the project, Coolderry Playground Committee has been selected as the official beneficiary of the Black Bull Threshing Festival 2026. The community festival is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 23rd, 2026, promising a fantastic family day out featuring working threshing, vintage displays, traditional crafts, and live music. All proceeds raised from this year’s festival will go directly toward the playground’s match funding element.
Welcoming the positive development, Mary Hoctor, Chairperson of the Coolderry Playground Committee, stated: "Securing planning permission is a monumental milestone for Coolderry. Our children deserve a safe, modern, and inclusive space to play, socialise, and stay active right here in our own community.
“While we are thrilled with this progress, the hard work begins now to bridge our match funding targets. We are incredibly fortunate and deeply grateful to the organisers of the Black Bull Threshing Festival for choosing us as their 2026 beneficiary. We encourage everyone in the locality and beyond to come out on Sunday, August 23rd, to support a wonderful day out.
“We also want to thank Offaly County Council and Offaly Local Development Company for their invaluable assistance to date as we turn this dream into a reality."
Adding her appreciation, Leah Connolly, Secretary of the Coolderry Playground Committee, thanked the hardworking committee for their dedicated efforts to date, noting that the project has achieved great amount of progress since their first meeting last August.
Leah also extended a special thanks to Coolderry GAA for generously making the site available for the new playground, and to Councillor Peter Ormond for his continuous work with the committee and his invaluable advice throughout the process.
They look forward to working with the Black Bull Threshing Committee over the next few weeks in preparation for this year’s festival.