€435,000 allocated for conservation work on local monuments

Eight historical monuments in Westmeath have been allocated €435,000 in funding to go towards their conservation.

The funding announcement was made today by Minister of State in the Department of Housing Peter Buke. The grants have been allocated for a number of projects in Westmeath under the Department’s 2022 Community Monuments Fund.

The core objective of the Community Monuments Fund is to support the conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites.

Some of the key beneficiaries in Westmeath are St Owen’s Church Ballymore, Kilbixy Leper Hospital Ballynacargy, Killefree Church Castlepollard and Monasset Tower House in Tyrellspass, all in receipt of the maximum award of €85,000.

Smaller amounts have been awarded under Stream 2, with Westmeath again having four successful projects – Killare Church (€27,000), Griffinstown Church (€24,000) Templecross Church, Ballynacargy (€24,000) and St. Feichin’s Well in Fire (€19,000).

Minister Burke says the number of successful projects is a testament to the strong applications made by local voluntary groups in conjunction with Westmeath County Council.

“Along with Councillor Tom Farrell, I met with groups involved in the scheme, including the St Owen’s Restoration Committee in Ballymore and heard first-hand the work that goes into these applications and the voluntary hours spent by the community in the upkeep and the restoration of St Owen’s, which is an iconic building on our doorstep. Many of these buildings are steeped in history and draw significant amount of tourists annually to rural Westmeath locations. It’s imperative we support these buildings, along with our county council, and do not let our history and a part of our culture fall into ruin.

"The grants will fund a number of different conservation measures and other works, which will enable greater community and tourist access to archaeological monuments. The works will also enable the monuments to withstand the effects of climate change.

"These awards help us to deliver on various commitments under Heritage Ireland 2030, the new national heritage plan launched earlier this year. It will provide further supports for communities and custodians and the heritage sector, for archaeologists, conservation architects, stone masons, and other professional trades," Minister Burke said.

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Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, said:

"Our archaeological monuments provide a sense of place to rural communities, villages, towns and cities across the country. With my colleague, Minister Peter Burke and Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, TD, we have grown this fund yet again from last year to have a real impact on communities and the monuments. The wide range of projects which have been included are testament to the rich history which surrounds us all.”

Concluding, Minister Peter said:

"The remarkable impact and success of the Community Monuments Fund is a result of the close working relationship between our Department’s National Monuments Service, local authorities and communities. On foot of this week's celebration of heritage through the International Day for Monuments and Sites, otherwise known as World Heritage Day, it is really fitting that such support is shown for our archaeological heritage,”