€335,000 in funding announced for Offaly heritage projects
€335,000 in funding has today been announced for seven built heritage projects in Offaly under the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) 2021.
The seven projects receiving funding are:
Tullamore Gaol and Salt Mills - €25,000
Birr Courthouse - €50,000
Woodfield Barn, Tullanisk - €50,000
Emmell Castle, Cloughjordan, Birr - €50,000
Presentation Convent, Portarlington - €80,000 (over two years)
Kinnitty Suspension Bridge - €30,000
Fort Eliza, Banagher - €50,000
Speaking about the funding allocated to Offaly projects, Minister for State Pippa Hackett said:
“Our historic buildings deserve to be preserved. They are part of our environment, enhancing our enjoyment of it. They remind us of our heritage and the many fine craftsmen who went before us building convents, gaols, churches, courthouses, barns and castles. I’m delighted to see €335,000 going to Offaly in today’s funding announcement.”
Nationally, 85 heritage projects across the country will benefit from a total of €3 million under this year’s HSF.
Announcing the funding today, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD said:
“I am delighted to announce another €3 million investment in our built heritage. This year’s Historic Structures Fund will assist 85 owners and custodians of historic and protected structures across the country as they carry out a range of conservation projects to repair and safeguard our built heritage and supporting local employment of skilled conservation workers and tradespeople.
“I am particularly pleased to announce the awards to vernacular structures and historic shopfronts made under the two pilots streams introduced this year. These awards celebrate the richness and diversity of our built heritage and help to preserve our connections to past generations, in particular through their support of traditional building skills, which this Government is committed to investing in."
In addition to supporting owners and custodians of historic and protected structures to safeguard and maintain their properties, this funding will also provide a boost to local construction and heritage trades by facilitating works with a total value of almost €9m and leveraging an estimated 13,000 days’ labour.
The announcement follows that of €3m in funding under the Department’s other built heritage grant scheme, the Built Heritage Investment Scheme, by Minister Noonan earlier this month and comes as the phased return of construction works gets underway.
Commenting on the announcement, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, said:
“I am equally delighted to be announcing today, along with my colleague Minister Noonan, this investment of €3m across a range of projects, nationwide, under the Historic Structures Fund. These schemes help to safeguard our rich built heritage, keeping many buildings in use and helping to bring many others back into use.
“The awards announced today also have a welcome knock-on economic benefit by generating employment for heritage contractors and other skilled crafts and tradespeople across the country.”
Through grants of between €15,000 and €200,000, the HSF assists owners of heritage structures – including those on the local authorities’ Record of Protected Structures and those in Architectural Conservation Areas – to meet their obligations to care for their properties.
The scheme provides assistance to a wide range of heritage structures – this year’s HSF includes awards to historic bridges, barns, courthouses, churches, shopfronts and a dry stone wall as well as to private houses.
Also included under the HSF 2021 are two pilot streams, one for the conservation of vernacular buildings and another for the conservation of historic shopfronts.