Six Kilkenny projects allocated funding under Community Monuments Fund

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, today announced the award of €8 million in funding for 140 archaeological heritage projects throughout the country as part of the Department’s Community Monuments Fund for 2023.

This year’s fund represents an increase of 33% over last year’s allocation, with €396,631 being awarded to 6 projects in Kilkenny.

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The core objective of the Community Monuments Fund is to support the conservation, maintenance, protection, and promotion of local monuments and historic sites, in alignment with the aims of the Government’s new heritage plan, Heritage Ireland 2030, and the Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan.

The scheme contains a range of measures that seek to enable conservation to be carried out on archaeological monuments in need of urgent support, encourage access to these monuments and improve their presentation, and build resilience to enable these monuments to withstand the effects of climate change.

The scheme offers three funding streams to support a broad range of measures aimed at protecting and promoting archaeological monuments, including emergency conservation repair works at monuments, masonry repair, the development of Conservation Management Plans, access infrastructure and installation of interpretation signage, and communication projects aimed at disseminating knowledge of Ireland’s archaeological heritage.

This year’s CMF awards include:

€120,000 in funding for Grangefertagh Church & Graveyard
€100,000 in funding for Butler Gallery
€64,292 in funding for Duiske Abbey
€60,679 in funding for Thomple Medieval Church
€25,830 in funding for Tubbrid Medieval Church 
€25,830 in funding for Rathpatrick Medieval Church

Minister of State Noonan said that 'this fund has supported over 330 projects since its establishment in 2020, making a tangible, positive impact to the medieval forts and churches and the historic graveyards and castles into which the lives of our ancestors are woven, along with our own, connecting us to our ancient past'. 

"It is also, of course, an investment in our future and in the ongoing care, conservation and promotion of these remarkable monuments and historic sites, and in the communities and heritage professionals who expertly manage the effort to conserve, protect and share them," he said.

"I’d like to thank all of this year’s applicants for their efforts, and wish the successful grantees the very best of luck with their projects."