Offaly projects receive funding under the 2025 Community Heritage Grant Scheme

Three projects in Offaly have secured funding of €61,878 under the Heritage Council’s 2025 Community Heritage Grant Scheme.

The project to benefit from the funding announced by the Government are the Boher-Liss Cemetery Group who have been allocated €25,000, Clara Heritage Society who will receive €24,160, while St. Brendan's Roman Catholic Church have been awarded €12,718. These grants will enable the local communities to conserve and celebrate Offaly's built, cultural, and natural heritage.

The €12,718 in funding awarded to St. Brendan’s Roman Catholic Church will support the restoration and conservation of the St. Brendan-stained glass window in Birr, while €24,160 granted to Clara Heritage Society will support a feasibility study of the River Brosna as it flows through Clara, exploring future opportunities for conservation and community engagement along the waterway. Meanwhile, Boher-Liss Cemetery Group, have been awarded €25,000 for conservation works at Liss Church and Graveyard (former Church of Ireland), Ballycumber, to help preserve a site of significant historical value.

All funded projects can begin work immediately and are expected to be completed by the end of the year. Previous recipients in Offaly have used this funding to restore architectural features, digitise local archives, and carry out conservation training — strengthening both the preservation of heritage and the local economy.

In 2024, the scheme funded the Oxmantown Settlement Trust to conserve original images of the 3rd Earl, it supported Birr 2020 Vision to undertake conservation repairs at the roof of the mausoleum chapel of St Brendan's medieval church in Birr, and the Shinrone Heritage Group were awarded funding to complete a graveyard recording project at St Mary's Church, Shinrone.

Fine Gael Deputy John Clendennen has welcomed the funding announcement, praising local efforts to preserve and celebrate Offaly’s rich cultural and historical legacy.

“This funding is a clear recognition of the commitment within our communities to protect Offaly’s heritage.

“From historic churches to natural waterways, these initiatives highlight the diversity and importance of our local heritage.

“These grants are a testament to the value of grassroots heritage work. I want to congratulate all involved and thank them for their dedication to preserving Offaly’s unique heritage for future generations," Deputy Clendennen said.