Tyndall Mountain Club in Kilkenny receive major award

Kilkenny’s Tyndall Mountain Club has received an award in recognition of their work under the Adopt A Monument Programme as part of The Heritage Council’s 'Adopt a Monument' scheme. 

The scheme aims to empower local communities to become involved in the care and conservation of a much-loved local monument and offers communities expertise, mentoring and support to help them to care for their local heritage.

Since the scheme first began in 2016, 25 groups across Ireland have 'adopted' monuments in their locality ranging from an enigmatic prehistoric site to 19th century industrial buildings to medieval churches as well as a Gaelic castle.

Locally, the Kilkenny club adopted a moated site on the eastern slopes of Brandon Hill, the highest mountain in Co Kilkenny, located just outside Graignamanagh. 

The group adopted the site in 2019 and since then have been working to understand more about the story of the site through research and a programme of geophysical surveys carried out by the Discovery Programme.

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, at the Heritage Council, said: "The Adopt a Monument Scheme is a wonderful way of ensuring our monuments remain an integral part of a community.

Maintaining them and caring for them requires much-needed expertise and resources which is exactly what the scheme provides. We can already see the positive effect the scheme has had on the areas where a monument was adopted, and the pride of place and increased civic value brought about the efforts of our dedicated community groups is very satisfying to see."

The Adopt a Monument Scheme is managed by Abarta Heritage on behalf of The Heritage Council and the closing date for further applications is Monday, November 13.

More information about the scheme and the application process can be found at: www.heritagecouncil.ie/heritage