Close to €300,000 allocated to four buildings in Carlow and Kilkenny under Historic Structures Fund

Close to €300,000’s been allocated to Carlow and Kilkenny under the Historic Structures Fund.

Minister of State, and local Green TD, Malcolm Noonan, has announced this morning that 95 heritage projects around Ireland will benefit from a €4.5million spend.

Locally, €120,000 has been allocated to Carlow County Library, €93,000 for Tullow Courthouse, €40,000 for Sherwood Park House in Ballon and €37,000 for the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Freshford.

Minister Noonan says “The €4.5 million funding announced today follows on from the Built Heritage Investment Scheme awards announced earlier this month, 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.

 “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.

 “I’m delighted to see two significant historical buildings in Carlow recognised, including an award of €93,000 for Tullow Courthouse for roofing, joinery and specialist cleaning of some of its wonderful granite details. It’s through this kind of investment that we can truly celebrate the value and diversity of Ireland’s built heritage today, while protecting it for future generations.”

Funding Breakdown