Local communities to benefit from €1.6m in heritage funding

Funding for 137 projects under the Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grant Scheme which will help to conserve and restore built, cultural and natural heritage throughout the country, will be issued to grant recipients this year.

Work on these projects can begin immediately which will see hundreds of local communities enriched through initiatives, from making previously unseen works of art available to the public, to equipping local communities with skills needed to protect biodiversity, to making landmarks of national significance accessible again. The projects will all be completed by the end of the year.

Following its call for applications, the Heritage Council received hundreds of proposals from those who care for our heritage, heritage volunteers, community groups and organisations.

Though many people will be familiar with the last of Ireland’s wandering bards, Antoine Ó Raifteirí, less will be familiar with his final resting place at Killeeneen Cemetery in Galway. The blind itinerant poet was an inspiration to the likes of Douglas Hyde, W.B Yeats and Lady Gregory, who in 1900 erected a memorial stone over his grave. The Reilig na bhFilí group has been offered almost €22,000 to make the graveyard more accessible for visitors through careful conservation.

Once a focal point in every Irish town and village, the old Telecom Éireann phone box kiosks became obsolete with the dawn of the mobile phone era. Some do remain, however, and have been put to good use again in the most creative ways. With support from Heritage Council funding, visitors to The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre in the Naul Co. Dublin will be able to use the telephone kiosk there to enjoy an interactive experience on the life and work of Séamus Ennis, the cultural heritage of the region and its local history.

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, said: “Every year, I love to see the creativity and dedication of our heritage sector through these projects from the Community Heritage Grant Scheme. It reminds me that despite the challenges we face, our heritage remains in safe hands. It is a truly valuable scheme and is also a significant investment in this Government’s commitments under the Programme for Government to promote and protect our heritage.”

Chairperson of The Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, said: “Heritage Council funding for the Community Heritage Grant Scheme has more than tripled since 2020 and the quality of the projects awarded funding is ample justification for this enhanced support. In many cases, the beneficiary of the work being carried out is the public, who will be able to access newly digitised resources and enjoy newly restored buildings, objects and natural heritage sites of national significance.”

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, said: “Our recently published Strategic Plan, Our Place in Time, acknowledges the pivotal role that community groups play as custodians of our national heritage and we are committed to ensuring that funding streams are in place to support communities to care for heritage and habitats. We will continue to run the Community Heritage Grant Scheme but will also develop new schemes which adapt to the needs of the sector as they evolve. For now, though, I wish to congratulate all the grantees and look forward to seeing the fruits of your labour later in the year.”

A full list of recipients under the Community Heritage Grant Scheme is available here.

Press Contacts

Please contact Pearse Ó Caoimh to arrange an interview. T. 085-8590378 E. pocaoimh@heritagecouncil.ie