Kilkenny City set to benefit from a new €120 million funding scheme

Kilkenny is set to benefit from a new €120 million funding scheme to support the renovation of disused heritage buildings, Green Party TD for Carlow-Kilkenny and Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan has confirmed.

The 'THRIVE' scheme will offer local authorities up to €7m to renovate disused heritage buildings to transform publicly owned vacant or derelict heritage buildings as part of the government's 'Town Centre First' policy.

Kilkenny City and Graiguecullen in Carlow have both been designated as 'Key Towns' under the initiative.

"This is fantastic news for Kilkenny and for Graiguecullen, and as Minister for Heritage I want to welcome more broadly this new initiative which has real potential to revitalise our town centres," Minister Noonan said.

"So many of our key regional towns and cities have publicly owned heritage buildings with huge untapped potential to be brought back into use through renovation, renewal, or adaptive reuse. This Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme will help unlock that potential and breathe new life into these old buildings, with the fresh perspective of addressing the contemporary needs of our cities and communities today.

"Following the government’s Town Centre First policy, this scheme will promote a citizen-centred and community-led approach to regeneration. That means our local authorities will engage with citizens to select suitable projects, develop plans, and adapt or reuse vacant and derelict heritage buildings to create beautiful, sustainable and inclusive spaces that improve the quality of our town centres and the lives of our citizens," Mr Noonan added.

"Creating new community hubs while preserving the unique cultural significance of the heritage buildings which have been part of the fabric of our town- and city-scapes for generations offers a uniquely exciting opportunity, and I would urge everyone in Kilkenny cCty and Graiguecullen to get involved. I look forward to seeing the transformative impact this scheme will have in driving heritage-led regeneration in the years ahead," he concluded.