Applications are now being accepted from across Carlow and Kilkenny for Community Heritage Grant Scheme funding.
Submissions to the Heritage Council can be made from midday today (Monday, 26th Feb) – more details here with a broad range of project types are eligible for funding under the scheme including:
- Conservation works to collections, objects or places, including natural heritage projects e.g. control of invasive species or habitat restoration works; conservation works to buildings, including churches; stabilisation works to ruined structures;
- Surveys, reports, plans, and audits to inform the future management of buildings and monuments, habitats, collections, or objects.
- Accessibility projects that make heritage activities more accessible for people with disabilities e.g. building ramps, automatic doors, handrails, tactile interpretation
- Projects that help people engage more with their heritage e.g. interactive maps, videos, virtual exhibitions, podcasts, websites
- Purchase of specialised equipment e.g archival boxing for vulnerable documents, monitoring equipment for humidity or light, interpretation/multimedia equipment, specialised software
- Projects that address the heritage of minority groups e.g an oral history project documenting Traveller heritage
- Training in traditional skills and crafts e.g. workshops on skills such as roofing, thatch, dry stone walling etc.
- Citizen science projects on environmental conservation
Last year, two Kilkenny-based projects were funded through the scheme – the Acorn Project in Kilkenny which received funding to train local communities to become guardians of nature and heritage through workshops teaching traditional land management skills and how to map and record the biodiversity of raths, and St Canice’s Cathedral who used the funding to improve the interpretation plan for the Cathedral with the addition of audio guides.
While in Carlow, three benefitted; the Drummin Bog Oral History Project, Rathanna Irish Countrywomen’s Association and the Cranavane Holy Well Committee secured funding for a heritage audit of the Kildavin area.
For an overview of all projects funded under the scheme in previous years, see list of 2023 recipients here and 2022 recipients here.
The minimum grant that can be requested through the scheme is €500 with the maximum of €25,000.
There’s a closing deadline of 5pm on Monday, 25th March, 2024 while funded projects must be completed by 15th of November 2024.
The Heritage Council will host a Zoom information webinar on the scheme at 12 noon on the 4th of March with general application advice followed by a question and answers session. The event will be recorded and available on our website for viewing afterwards and registration details are available on the site.
