Funding announced for heritage works at Kilkenny church

Minister of State, Malcolm Noonan has announced that 95 heritage projects around Ireland will benefit from a total of €4.5m, including €38,000 for The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Freshford.

“The €4.5 million funding announced follows on from the Built Heritage Investment Scheme awards, bringing this government’s support for built heritage and historic structures to a total of €9 million this year. This underlines our continued commitment to protect and preserve our built environment in line with the goals I set out in Heritage Ireland 2030 – the new national heritage plan I launched last year,” said Minister Noonan.

€8.4 million for road projects in North Kilkenny

“What’s really important about this funding is that it won’t just support the owners and custodians of some of Ireland’s finest historic or protected buildings to repair and protect these properties - it also gives a welcome boost to local heritage and construction trades, including really specialist skills like thatching and stone work.If we want to protect our built heritage into the future, we need to ensure we’re maintaining the skills needed to do it, and my Department estimates that the awards being announced today will facilitate over €8 million worth of skilled repair and restoration work, funding in excess of 11,000 days’ labour.

“This will provide work for today’s skilled tradesmen and women, and also ensure we’re teaching new and valuable skills and crafts to the tradesmen and women of tomorrow.”