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An event has been held to celebrate the opening of a new Community Playground in Killea, Co Kerry.
Donegal County Council hosted the opening on Wednesday 13 October, welcoming members of the community to the site of the new facility.
Keynote speakers included Nicola Mahon representing the Killea Community Playpark Group, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Jack Murry, Cllr Terry Crossan and Chairperson of the PEACE IV Partnership Committee, Cllr Paul Canning.
Contractor Garden Escapes (Ireland) Ltd re-imagined an undeveloped space in the centre of Killea village and created a shared space to support peace and reconciliation through outdoor play.
The park has a seating and picnic area, public car park and an inclusive playground for children of all ages containing a variety of equipment including junior and toddler multi-play units, a variety of swings, a wheelchair accessible carousel, multi-use games area with goal posts and basketball nets. The new playground also includes a communications board, which provides communications support, with particular benefit to children or adults who are either pre-verbal or non-verbal and/or have communication difficulties. The inspiration for this communication board came from Min Ryan Park in County Wexford, which has since gone on to receive an award for inclusivity in disability service provision, with the InterAct initiative at Trinity College providing invaluable support to Donegal County Council in the development of the communication board for the Killea Community playground.
This project was one of many funded under the Council's €5.5m Local Authority Action Plan, which received funding through the European Union's PEACE IV Programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. The project specifically fell under the Shared Spaces and Services objective of the Action Plan. Match-funding for this project has been provided by The Executive Office, Northern Ireland and The Department of Rural and Community Development, Ireland.
This project is also part funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Donegal County Council under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme with the aim of rejuvenating rural towns and villages throughout Ireland through the Government's Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme.
