Five Offaly projects to share €370k in community monuments funding
Five projects in Offaly are to share some €370,000 in grants through the 2024 Community Monuments Fund .
The funding is part of a national allocation of over €7.4 million will be awarded to 140 projects, and announced today (Sunday) by the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan.
The fund is designed to help owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future.
Three of the Offaly projects are receiving funding through Stream 1 of the Community Monuments Fund. This is aimed at essential repairs and capital works for the conservation and repair of archaeological monuments.
Under this stream, some €120,000 has been allocated for work at Monasteroris Church and Graveyard in Edenderry, €100,000 to Ballintemple Church in Moneygall and €90,393.44 to work at Killeigh Chapter House.
Two Offaly projects, Seir Kieran Graveyard and Lemanaghan Castle are each to receive €30,000 through Stream 3, which is for enhancement of access infrastructure and interpretation (including virtual/online) at archaeological monuments.
Minister of State Noonan said: “I’m delighted that 140 projects across the country will be supported under this year’s €7.4m Community Monuments Fund. Since its inception in 2020, this fund has become a lifeline for the protection of Ireland’s irreplaceable archaeological heritage by revitalising hundreds of historic monuments in cities, towns, villages and rural communities across all 31 Local Authorities.
“Through this, it is enabling valuable investment in the wider heritage sector, creating thousands of hours of employment for specialist craftspeople and traditional skills practitioners, as well as supporting the achievement of national commitments under Heritage Ireland 2030 and the Climate Adaptation Plan for Built and Archaeological Heritage. I’d like to congratulate the successful applicants and wish them the very best of luck in with their projects this year.”