€210k funding for local monuments

Three projects in County Cavan and another three in County Monaghan have been allocated a total of €253,859.

Funding worth close to €210,000 has been allocated for projects aimed at protecting archaeological heritage in Cavan and Monaghan.

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD announced the approval of 139 project grants across all 31 Local Authorities for a wide range of archaeological heritage projects under the Department’s Community Monuments Fund.

First established in 2020, the fund was increased from just over €1 million last year to €4.2 million in 2021.

Three projects in County Cavan and another three in County Monaghan have been allocated a total of €253,859.

Cavan will receive funding of €121,635 under the 2021 Community Monuments Fund. Meanwhile, three monuments in County Monaghan will receive €87,914 in funding.

They projects to receive funding in Cavan include €76,177 for Castlerahan Church and Graveyard; €25,710 for the Church of the Rath, Killeshandra; and €19,747.50 for Enniskeen Exhibition.

Projects in Co Monaghan to receive funding include Killeevan Church (€50,000); Errigal Truagh Church (€19,750.60); and the Clones Stone Shrine (€18,163).

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan and Monaghan, Niamh Smyth wsthank the local authorities for submitting these projects for funding. "It is so important to maintain and respect our archaeological heritage."

The Cavan and Monaghan TD added: "Our archaeological heritage lies at the very heart of communities, an inheritance of monuments echoing a resilient past that we are obliged to protect. These monuments provide a sense of place to rural communities, villages and towns across our counties.”