From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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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 €1.4 million 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.
ENDS
Under the Jobs Stimulus Package in July, Minister Noonan announced an allocation of €1.4 million 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.
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 |
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:
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.
| Stream | No. of applications awarded | 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 | ||
| 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 | St. Finians Church, Esker, Lucan | €30,000 |
| Tipperary | Pallas Church, Dorrha | €34,515 |
| Waterford | Knockboy Church | €4,000 |
| Westmeath | Athlone Town Wall | €35,305 |
| Wexford | St. Marys Church, Bannow | €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 |