Restoration project at Kilbixy allocated funding

An historically significant mausoleum at Kilbixy Church is one of 137 projects to be allocated funding under the Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grant Scheme which will help to conserve and restore built, cultural and natural heritage throughout the country.

The Follies Trust has been allocated funding of €10,000 for a project to conserve the Malone Mausoleum at Kilbixy, a significant and historic structure. An awareness raising campaign will follow, highlighting the importance of the structure to the wider public.

Also in Westmeath, the Athlone Gun Battery Heritage Group has been allocated €25,000 to fund masonry repairs of the Athlone gun battery. The works will represent another step towards cementing the site’s importance and status, and will enable greater public appreciation of the history of Athlone and the significant defences built there during the Napoleonic Wars.

Work on these projects can begin immediately which will see hundreds of local communities enriched through initiatives, from making previously unseen works of art available to the public, to equipping local communities with skills needed to protect biodiversity, to making landmarks of national significance accessible again. The projects will all be completed by the end of the year.

Following its call for applications, the Heritage Council received hundreds of proposals from those who care for our heritage, heritage volunteers, community groups and organisations.

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, said: “Every year, I love to see the creativity and dedication of our heritage sector through these projects from the Community Heritage Grant Scheme. It reminds me that despite the challenges we face, our heritage remains in safe hands. It is a truly valuable scheme and is also a significant investment in this Government’s commitments under the Programme for Government to promote and protect our heritage.”

Chairperson of The Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, said: “Heritage Council funding for the Community Heritage Grant Scheme has more than tripled since 2020 and the quality of the projects awarded funding is ample justification for this enhanced support. In many cases, the beneficiary of the work being carried out is the public, who will be able to access newly digitised resources and enjoy newly restored buildings, objects and natural heritage sites of national significance.”

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council, said: “Our recently published Strategic Plan, Our Place in Time, acknowledges the pivotal role that community groups play as custodians of our national heritage and we are committed to ensuring that funding streams are in place to support communities to care for heritage and habitats. We will continue to run the Community Heritage Grant Scheme but will also develop new schemes which adapt to the needs of the sector as they evolve. For now, though, I wish to congratulate all the grantees and look forward to seeing the fruits of your labour later in the year.”