Minister for Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan TD, today announced that 478 heritage projects across every county in the country will benefit from a combined €4.3m under this year’s Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS).
The funding will support the owners and custodians of historic and protected structures as they carry out hundreds of small-scale, labour-intensive projects to repair and conserve our historic built environment. These projects provide vital support for local jobs in conservation, traditional skills and construction.
A list of the successful projects is available here.
These schemes are funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and administered by local authorities. They invest in hundreds of projects each year in urban and rural areas the country. This year, the grants range from €2,500 to €200,000 per project and will be used for the conservation and renovation of all kinds of historic structures, from thatched cottages to bridges and mills, a 12th-century leper hospital, historic shop fronts cathedrals, castles and libraries.
Speaking today Minister Madigan said:
I am delighted to announce these grant awards which will support the owners and custodians of our historic built environment. Our built heritage is at the historic heart of our communities. It stands sentinel to our past and, when cared for, inspiration to our future. Investing in our heritage buildings is good for the individual properties concerned, and it also provides a real boost to local communities and supports jobs in traditional building skills, conservation and tourism. It instils civic and community pride and invigorates by renewing our past.
Today’s investment will play an important role in helping communities to regenerate the areas where they live and work, and ensuring that this important part of our cultural heritage is kept alive and safe as part of our generation’s legacy for the future.
Minister Madigan continued:
I would like to thank the local authorities for their work in administering the Historic Structures Fund and Built Heritage Investment Scheme, which have such a positive impact on protected structures across the country. I would also like to acknowledge the response of private owners and their willingness to invest their time and money in caring for our built heritage.
Note for Editors
The Historic Structures Fund (formerly the Structures at Risk Fund) and Built Heritage Investment Scheme are administered by local authorities. Queries in relation to the schemes should be directed to the relevant local authority. Details of the schemes are available on all local authority websites and on the Department’s website.
Both schemes provide funding for protected buildings and historic structures in private and public ownership.
Typical works funded under the scheme include roof repairs, structural consolidation and measures focused on safeguarding our built heritage and ensuring its continued use. Please see the link above to the list of projects being awarded funding for 2019.
The Historic Structures Fund (HSF), formerly the Structures at Risk Fund, was announced by the Minister in November 2018 and supports the conservation and enhancement of historic structures and buildings to ensure their preservation and continued use for the benefit of communities and the public. The Historic Structures Fund is funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and administered by local authorities. This year, the Fund will offer €1.824 m in capital grants to 70 heritage projects, with awards ranging from €15,000 to €200,000.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is a scheme for the repair and conservation of protected structures (i.e. structures on the local authority Record of Protected Structures). The BHIS provides funding for works to protected structures in private and public ownership across the country. It creates employment in the conservation and construction industries, while helping to regenerate urban and rural areas. This year the BHIS will offer €2.5m in awards ranging from €2,500 to €15,000, spread across 408 projects in 31 local authority areas.
The full list of projects being awarded funding is available here.