Minister announces tender stage for Indreabhán education and youth centre
Major Gaeltacht investment set to deliver year-round community, youth and language facilities in west Galway
6 February 2026 | 📧 editor@ipropertyradio.com
The next phase of a major community infrastructure project in the Galway Gaeltacht has formally commenced, with the tender process now underway for a new Education and Youth Centre in Indreabhán, Co Galway.
The announcement was made this week by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, marking a significant milestone for a project that has been several years in planning and design. The centre will be developed on an Údarás na Gaeltachta site at Coláiste Lurgan and represents a multi-million euro investment in community, youth and language infrastructure in the west of Ireland.
The Indreabhán centre is one of three flagship capital projects being delivered by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, with funding secured under the revised National Development Plan in July 2025. The other projects include the new pier at Inis OĂrr and the Irish Language and Cultural Centre on Harcourt Street in Dublin.
The new facility will comprise a modern, high-quality building including a multi-purpose hall suitable for sports and entertainment events, classrooms, a kitchen, offices and on-site parking. Outside the summer months, when the centre will continue to be used by Coláiste Lurgan for Irish language courses, the building will operate as a year-round educational, youth, sports and community facility for the wider Gaeltacht area.
Funding was approved in 2023 for Údarás na Gaeltachta to progress the design and secure planning permission. With that stage now complete, the project is moving into procurement, clearing the way for construction to begin once a contractor is appointed.
Speaking in Indreabhán, Minister Calleary said the project would deliver long-term benefits for the local community and for Irish language development nationally. He said the centre would provide much-needed space for community groups and activities, while also supporting the language planning process by creating dedicated venues for Gaeltacht youth and Irish language learners from across the country.
Ăšdarás na Gaeltachta chief executive Tomás Ă“ SĂocháin said the centre would play a critical role in supporting young people, who he described as central to the future of the Irish language. He said the investment would strengthen Ăšdarás na Gaeltachta’s capacity to meet growing demand for Irish-language services and learning, particularly in light of the recently published Irish Language Public Services Action Plan.
For the Indreabhán community and the wider Conamara Gaeltacht, the project represents a rare and significant investment in social, educational and cultural infrastructure, reinforcing the role of west Galway as a living, working Irish-speaking region rather than a seasonal or symbolic one.
