Over €190K for monuments
Over €190,000 has been allocated to five Cavan archaeological heritage projects as part of the Department of Heritage’s Community Monuments fund for 2023.
It includes €94,673 for St. Mogue’s Church; €37,997 for Drumlane Abbey; €30,000 for Enagh Windmill; €29,96 for Moneygashel Cashel; and €4,459 for Moybologue.
In total €8 million in funding was announced for 140 archaeological heritage projects throughout the country. This represents an increase of a third on last year’s allocation.
The 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 Heritage Ireland 2030 plan, 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, and to encourage access as well as build resilience to withstand the effects of climate change. The scheme offers three funding streams covering emergency conservation repair works, masonry repair, the development of Conservation Management Plans, access infrastructure and installation of interpretation signage, and communication projects.
Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, said the fund has supported over 330 projects since its establishment in 2020, making a “tangible, positive impact” to the medieval forts, churches and historic graveyards and castles into which the lives of “our ancestors are woven, along with our own, connecting us to our ancient past.”
He said conversation of such sites was important funding for future generations.
Funding welcomed
Cavan-Monaghan Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth agreed, and she paid tribute to those involved in securing funding.
“I’d like to thank heritage officers in Cavan and Monaghan for securing the funding. In Cavan Anne Marie Ward is our heritage officer, she worked hard with me to secure the funding for those groups who received funding. Particularly for Drumlane Abbey and Moybologue Graveyard who I worked closely with. They are fast becoming real focus points architectural and historical focal points in the community as well as great tourist sites for Cavan,” said the local deputy.
Built Heritage
The monument funding comes shortly after three historic local buildings benefited from the €4.5m funding package targeted at conserving and safeguarding Ireland’s built heritage announced last month.
In total €117,500 was allocated to Cavan County Council. They were among 96 heritage projects chosen nationwide.
Arvagh Market House, Market Square, Drumalt received €37,500 to repair roof slates, carry out rainwater goods repairs, and fix windows; while Billis Mill, Drumollard, Ballyjamesduff was allocated €45,000 for “emergency repairs” to masonry and kiln, the removal of the wheel for restoration and gain access to the gable wall, as well as repairs to floor and roof.
Lastly, €35,000 was awarded for works at Quivvy Church, Lower Loughtee, Belturbet to halt the “ongoing deterioration and reverse poor quality and inappropriate interventions”. The funding will also cover the conservation of roof coverings, and repair rainwater goods and mortar.
In addition to supporting owners and custodians of historic and protected structures, the Department says the funding provides a welcome boost to local construction and heritage trades by facilitating works.
The department estimates the value of the works will return over €8m to local economies, and will generate an estimated 11,250 days’ labour, including for specialist heritage roles such as thatching and stone work.