Clare Local Development Company shortlisted for national Irish Sport Industry award. Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) has been named as a finalist for the Best Initiative to Promote Sustainability in Sport at the 2026 Irish Sport Industry Awards, hosted by the Federation of Irish Sport. The awards ceremony takes place on Tuesday, 19th May at the College Green Hotel in Dublin. CLDC, the local development company for County Clare, is shortlisted alongside Golf Ireland's Drive The Green initiative, the GAA Green Club Programme, and Munster Rugby's A Different Approach to Impact - recognition that places County Clare's community-led rural recreation work among the leading sustainability initiatives in Irish sport. The nomination recognises the work of CLDC's Rural Recreation Programme, led by Eoin Hogan, who brings over 18 years of experience in trail development. Eoin previously established the award-winning Trail Kilkenny project before moving to Clare, where he now manages an extensive network of off-road and on-road trails across the county. Sustainability is embedded at the core of all trail development work managed by CLDC. Every project is evaluated on an environmentally sustainable basis, with a commitment to utilising local materials and local labour to ensure the long-term durability of Clare's trail infrastructure. This ethos is reflected in four flagship initiatives that form the basis of the award nomination. Bladebridge In partnership with Cork-based start-up Bladebridge, CLDC developed the first walking trail bridge constructed from repurposed wind turbine blades - a genuine world first. Wind turbine blades typically end their lifespan in landfill, but this project applies circular economy principles to give decommissioned blades a second life as trail infrastructure, including picnic tables and benches. The project was funded by the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) and won the UIAA Best New Initiative award in 2023. Volunteer Trail Wardens CLDC manages a dedicated team of volunteer trail wardens, developed in partnership with Clare Sports Partnership, who each "adopt" a trail or section of trail and monitor it on a quarterly basis. Wardens report back to the CLDC Rural Recreation Officer, providing regular, ground-level insight into trail conditions - a human-powered, community-driven approach to trail stewardship. Waywyser is the world's first dedicated digital trail management system, developed by CLDC in partnership with Ennistymon-based technology firm Evolve Technologies. The platform allows trail supervisors to manage their network via a dedicated app integrated with IoT (Internet of Things) technology, including people counters, weather stations, and gate and flood sensors. Volunteer wardens report trail conditions through the app, with all inputs managed centrally through a dedicated backend system. Digital Donation Posts Securing sustainable day-to-day funding for community-run trails is one of the most persistent challenges facing rural recreation. CLDC's digital donation post initiative addresses this directly - marker posts fitted with NFC (near-field communication) chips allow trail users to "tap and donate" using a smartphone or contactless card, with no power source required. Each donation is ring-fenced for the specific trail and transferred directly to the relevant Trail Management Organisation by CLDC. CLDC CEO Doirin Graham said: "This shortlisting is a tremendous recognition of the creative and innovative work being done by Eoin and the Rural Recreation Programme. Sustainability is not just a value we talk about - it is built into every project we undertake. To be recognised alongside some of the biggest names in Irish sport is a real honour for everyone involved in CLDC." The 2026 Irish Sport Industry Awards are now in their 9th year, recognising excellence across 13 award categories spanning innovation, collaboration, inclusivity, and sustainability in Irish sport. This year sees the introduction of two new categories - Best Initiative to Promote Sustainability in Sport and Best Initiative to Promote Disability in Sport - reflecting the growing importance of these areas within the sector. CLDC's rural recreation programme is one of several programmes delivered across County Clare under the company's LEADER, SICAP and rural recreation mandates. A new organisational sustainability strategy is due to be launched later in 2026. The 2026 Irish Sport Industry Awards take place on Tuesday, 19th May at the College Green Hotel, Dublin.