Co Cavan was chosen as the venue to launch the first round of applications approved under the Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding Scheme last week.
Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr John Paul Feely, said it was the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin who brought the Shared Island vision from concept to reality in the first instance.
He pointed out that a "sectarian head count" was never an acceptable basis on which to partition this island.
Cllr Feely added the campaign of terror in the 25 years before the Good Friday Agreement dramatically compounded economic disadvantage in the central border region.
He highlighted his delight over the fact that local authorities have been given a key role in developing projects under the initiative and how this will ultimately bring people together throughout the island.
