Historic churches will now be able to benefit from conservation grants for refurbishment under an expansion of the Department of the Environment’s grant schemes for the conservation and protection of Built Heritage. Announcing a funding package of €25m to help heritage projects in 2008 – a 42 per cent increase on 2007 expenditure - Minister John Gormley said that a Civic Structure Grants scheme of €1.9m would support “works on churches of significant architectural importance”.
He said that many of Ireland’s churches were “of considerable architectural importance and they house examples of fine sculpture, mosaics and stained glass and are generally accessible to the local community”.
“It is important that we protect this important part of our built heritage and, indeed of our social history” Mr Gormley said.
“I believe this new fund will be an important step in supporting their conservation”.
The minister said that Investment in built heritage conservation was “vital for the safeguarding of our important architectural heritage”.
He said the increased funding underlined the government’s commitment in the area and he believed the grants would “encourage an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to built heritage conservation as a whole.”
Mr Gormley announced that more money was also being allocated to local authorities to support the conservation of protected structures, such as thatched houses, traditional shop and pub fronts, timber sash windows, and repair and conservation of features of architectural significance generally.
The Office of Public Works is to receive extra money for State-owned heritage sites, including the historic monastic site at Durrow Abbey, outside Tullamore and the Pearse Museum, Botanic Gardens and Phoenix Park lodges in Dublin, Heywood Gardens in Laois, Connolly’s Folly in Kildare and Nenagh Castle in Tipperary.
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