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Minister Noonan Announces Grants for 71 Projects under €1.4m July Jobs Stimulus Plan for National Monuments

The Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Mr Malcolm Noonan, TD, today announced the approval of grants for a wide range of heritage projects under the July Jobs Stimulus package.  The funding will support 71 heritage projects across 30 Local Authorities under a new Community Monuments Fund. 

The objective of July Jobs Stimulus is to offset some of the effects of Covid-19 by revitalising the economy, providing protection for small businesses and getting people back to work. The Community Monuments Fund has been established as part of the €1.4m in additional capital earmarked for national monuments under the Stimulus Plan.

The core objective of the Community Monuments Fund is to support the conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites. It contains a number of different measures aimed at enabling conservation works to be carried out on monuments which are deemed to be significant and in need of urgent support, encouraging access to monuments and improving their presentation and also building resilience in monuments to enable them to withstand the effects of climate change.

The Community Monuments Fund is investing essential capital in our valuable archaeological heritage to help owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future for the benefit of communities and the public and to stimulate local employment and economic activity.

Speaking today, Minister Noonan said:

I am delighted to announce this investment as part of the July Jobs Stimulus to support those working to care for our heritage and to ensure the protection and promotion of our archaeological and built heritage.  The funding will progress heritage projects across the country, ensuring that heritage is protected as a community asset and made more accessible.  This measure will also allow steps to be taken under the Climate Change Action Plan in relation to our archaeological heritage and will create employment for many small businesses, skilled conservation specialists and tradespeople involved in heritage-related construction activity. “

Funding will be used to carry out conservation works at monuments in local authority care, as well as providing support to a number of community led projects, including those aimed at the care of historic graveyards.

A full list of the projects being funded is set out below and can also be found on the Department’s website here.

Minister Noonan continued: “I want to thank the local authorities for their enthusiastic response to the new Fund and for drawing up a wide range of suitable projects in record time.  I would also like to acknowledge the dedication of private owners in their custodianship of a significant share of our archaeological heritage. This heritage is so important, especially in these challenging times, in providing recreation, comfort and a sense of well-being to communities across the land and I am delighted to be able to provide this support through the Community Monument Fund. 

ENDS

Notes for Editors

What is the Scheme?

Under the Jobs Stimulus Package in July, Minister Noonan announced an allocation of €1.4m for expenditure in 2020 on improvements to national monuments, including the establishment of a new Community Monuments Fund.

The main aims of the Community Monuments Fund are the conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites. It has a number of funding streams aimed at enabling conservation works to be carried out on monuments which are deemed to be significant and in need of urgent support, encouraging access to monuments and improve their presentation and also to build resilience in monuments to enable them to withstand the effects of climate change.

The Community Monuments Fund will invest essential capital in our valuable archaeological heritage and help owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future for the benefit of communities and the public.  The fund will, in turn, deliver a considerable boost to local employment.

The fund is administered by the National Monuments Service of the Department through the Local Authorities.

What are Grants Available for?

The Community Monuments Fund has 3 Streams:

Stream

Available Funding

Maximum Grant

Stream 1

Grants up to €100,000 for essential repairs and capital works for the conservation of archaeological monuments.

100% of eligible costs

Stream 2

Grants of up to €30,000 for development of Conservation Management Plans/Reports aimed at identifying measures for conservation of monuments and improved public access.

100% of eligible costs

Stream 3

Grants of up to €30,000 for enhancement of access infrastructure and interpretation at archaeological monuments (including COVID 19 protection measures)

100% of eligible costs

 

Who Could Apply?

The Community Monuments Fund provides capital funding for projects involving:

(i)                  Monuments that are included in the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) under the National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended).

(ii)                Monuments included in the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) as compiled by the National Monuments Service.

Eligible projects were drawn from the following categories:

a)       projects proposed by a Local Authority in relation to monuments in public ownership where a clear heritage focus and community or public benefit has been demonstrated;

b)      projects proposed by a Local Authority on foot of applications from private applicants who are the owners or custodians of monuments;

c)       Relevant projects identified within County Heritage Plans.

Local Authorities could submit applications for works to monuments in public ownership directly to the Department.  Private applicants or community groups, who are the owners or custodians of monuments, were asked to submit applications through their Local Authorities.

What has been approved?

Stream

Value of applications Awarded

Stream 1

28

€681, 801

Stream 2

28

€295,865

Stream 3

15

€177,074

Totals

71

€1,154,740

 

The list of approved projects is below:

Local Authority

Site/Monument/Address

Award

 

Stream 1

 

Cavan

Moybologue Graveyard

€42,760

Clare

Newtown Castle, Ballyvaughan

€10,782

Cork

Templebreedy Church, Crosshaven

€40,000

Cork

Camden Fort, meagher

€30,500

Cork City

St Finn Barre's Cathedral

€5,900

Donegal

Rathmullen Abbey

€42,000

Dublin City

St Patricks Cathedral

€20,000

Fingal

Drumanagh privy (Martello Tower), Fingal

€15,000

Galway

Abbeygormican Graveyard

€30,000

Galway City

Spanish Arch and Wall Walk

€25,000

Kildare

Johnstown Church, Palmerstown

€14,826

Kilkenny

Kilkenny City Walls 

€60,551

Laois

Killabban Medieval Church

€25,000

Louth

Drogheda’s Town wall

€15,000

Limerick

Clonshire

€70,000

Mayo

Old Killeen Graveyard, Attymas

€6,727

Meath

Rathmore Graveyard

€4,710

Offaly

Drumcullen Medieval Church, Kinnity

€40,202

Roscommon

Kilteevan Cemetery

€31,502

Roscommon

Rahara Medieval Church

€8,655

Roscommon

Owen O’Conor Mausoleum, Ballintober

€5,893

Sligo

Ballynaglogh Abbey, Ballymote

€1,750

South Dublin

€30,000

Tipperary

Pallas Church, Dorrha

€34,515

Waterford

Knockboy Church

€4,000

Westmeath

Athlone Town Wall

€35,305

Wexford

€18,756

Wexford

Lady's Island

€12,467

 

Stream 2

 

Cork

Killgulane Church

€7,865

DL Rathdown

Williamstown Martello Tower, Blackrock

€3,630

Donegal

St Muras Cross Slab, Fahan

€2,360

Donegal

Killydonnell Friary & Historic Graveyard,

€15,000

Fingal

Martello Towers, Drumanagh & Skerries

€12,000

Fingal

St Marnocks & St Catherines Churches Portmarnock and Rush

€12,000

Galway

Lydican Castle

€23,298

Galway

Kilclooney Tower House, Milltown

€20,017

Kerry

Kilshanig Church, Castlegregory

€2,904

Kerry

Cloghane Church

€2,904

Kerry

Ballinskelligs Castle

€2,904

Kildare

Whites Castle, Athy

€14,883

Laois

Dysart Gallen Church, Ballinakill

€29,014

Longford

Knock windmill , Lanesborough

€5,000

Longford

Abbeyshrule Abbey  Tower house

€19,705

Mayo

Kill Abbey, Shrule

€12,740

Meath

Beaubec, Bey More

€4,598

Meath

Dulane Church, kells

€4,598

Monaghan

 Errigal Trough Church

€25,000

Offaly

Blundall Castle, Edenderry

€8,000

Offaly

St Brendans Church, Birr

€4,235

Roscommon

Elphin Cathedral Conservation

€7,306

Sligo

Enniscrone Castle

€10,000

Tipperary

Carney Castle, Nenagh

€14,760

Waterford

Kilmolash, Knockboy  and Kilronan Churches

€2,500

Waterford

Dysert Medieval church &  St. Declan’s Holy Well, Ardmore

€4,000

Westmeath

Fore Gaol, Fore

€16,280

Wexford

Barntown Castle

€8,364

 

Stream 3

 

Carlow

Ballinree, Killoughterane & St. Mullins

€10,000

Clare

Carigaholt Castle, Rinemacaderrig

€16,331

Cork City

Elizabeth Fort,  Cork City

€18,975

DL Rathdown

Historic Graveyards, Dun Laoghaire

€6,353

Galway City

Three Castles  (Tirellen, Menlough, Merlin)

€30,000

Galway

Ballinastack Megalithic Tomb & Childrens' Burial Ground

€2,648

Kerry

Killaclohane Portal Tomb, Milltown

€4,418

Kilkenny

Medieval Mile Museum

€10,625

Laois

Lea Graveyard, Portarlington

€3,450

Mayo

Kilmovee Heritage Trail

€9,135

Roscommon

Various sites

€12,000

Sligo

Queen Meabhs Trail, Knocknarea

€30,000

Tipperary

Monastic Site, Emly

€1,445

Westmeath

Hill of Uisneach

€13,995

Wicklow

Medieval Arklow

€7,700