Conservation grants helping to save Kilkenny’s unique heritage

From thatched roofs to wooden mill wheels, and all parts of buildings in-between, inside and out, the new and improved conservation grant scheme is now open to all heritage buildings in Kilkenny.

The quality of our historic built environment can have a profound effect on how we live. It contributes to the vitality of our cities, towns, villages and countryside, instils a sense of pride of place, and enhances the quality of our everyday lives.

The historic built environment also makes a significant contribution to economic prosperity by attracting investment and tourism, something we are rightly proud of in Kilkenny. This provides direct and indirect employment, as well as sustaining a traditional skills base.

Francis Coady, Architectural Conservation Officer with Kilkenny County Council, said the grants under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2025 for the repair and conservation of protected structures, was recently announced for the coming year.

With a jump in the maximum grant available, from €15,000 to €50,000 it is hoped that the scheme will be taken up by even more building owners this year.

An important scheme for the preservation of our built heritage, the conservation grants do not have to be used for major projects, like restoring a mill wheel or ‘stabilising’ a structure, but can also be used for replacing windows or repairing a roof.

Kilkenny County Council sees more projects coming in every year, according to Francis.
Preserving our built heritage has benefits not only for the building owner, but for all society .

The success of the conservation grants in previous years has seen an increase in the scope of the funding for works this year.
Applicants can apply for grants of €2,500 up to a maximum of €50,000, up from a maximum grant of €15,000, last year.

There has been an increase in the proportion of a project that can be covered by the grant, too. It has risen from a maximum 50% of project cost to 80% of the project cost.
As anyone who has undertaken a building renovation project, or even watched them on television, knows, escalating costs are often a feature of works. Francis said the increased maximum grants and percentage of costs will help towards work being securely funded.
He hopes these changes will open up the scheme to larger scale projects. Click NEXT for application details.