Six Groups throughout Roscommon are among 171 nationwide to receive funding under the 2016 Heritage Council Community-based Heritage Grants Scheme.
The largest sum goes, €10,000 has been given to St Johns Parish Heritage group for Emergency conservation works to the gable of the medieval Rinn Duin Parish Church
Moore Gun Club, Roscommon Regional Game Council and Moore Community have received €8,000 towards the
Ballydangan Bog Red Grouse Project.
Kiltoom Church of Ireland Group have received €7,000 towards the partial completion of the conservation of St John’s Hospital, Rinn Duin.
€6,000 has been granted to The Golden Eagle Trust for the Conservation, planning & project development of a landscape-scale Wetland Wilderness Park which is a joint Roscommon-Longford project.
Ballintober Castle is to receive €5,000 towards a conservation management plan and Kilteevan Graveyard Committee will receive the same sum towards the Conservation of Kilteevan Medieval Parish
Church and adjoining Burial Vault.
Finally, Roscommon Heritage has received a grant of €1,700 towards the investigation of the Crannog at Loughnanane, Roscommon town. They will use radar equipment and will begin the work next month.
Overall, grants of €800,000 has been provided through the Heritage Council and the Department of Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht and almost 400 projects across the country applied for funding.
Speaking following the announcement Conor Newman, Heritage Council Chairman, commented, “These diverse projects reflect our cultural identity and distinctiveness as a people. If properly resourced they have the potential to give back to the community and to the country for generations to come. They are a hugely popular initiative, and while we weren’t able to support all of the projects which applied, I am very pleased that so many projects will benefit. These projects keep threatened aspects of our heritage alive and provide people with an opportunity to be directly involved in developing the future of their places. Many of the projects reflect years of ongoing work at community level to protect our heritage for the future”.
Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys said, “This targeted grants scheme is supported on a continued financial basis by my Department and has a very positive impact on a wide range of projects and people in both rural and urban Ireland. Among the projects which will benefit this year are churches, natural habitats, such as beaches and woodlands, local graveyards and numerous heritage buildings.
“Schemes such as this one help to conserve our heritage, support the local economy, boost tourism and make our country a better place in which to live and work. By continuing to invest in our heritage, we can show that historic buildings and places are not only an intrinsic part of Ireland’s heritage, but can also provide a real boost to job creation in the construction, conservation and tourism sectors.”
For a full listing of the projects that received support this year click here