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Preasráitis

€7.5 million awarded to protect archaeological monuments throughout the country

  • Community Monuments Fund to invest €7.5 million to protect archaeological monuments
  • 122 projects nationwide set to benefit
  • Awards coincide with World Heritage Day – the international Day for Monuments and Sites

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, have today announced the 122 projects that will be awarded €7.5 million in funding under the 2025 Community Monuments Fund. These grants help owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future.

The Community Monuments Fund supports a range of initiatives to conserve, maintain, protect and promote local monuments and historic sites. This investment safeguards monuments for the benefit of communities and the public. It does so by enabling conservation works and repairs as well as building resilience through protecting monuments from the effects of extreme weather and climate change. The scheme also encourages public access and improvements to the presentation of local monuments.

The awards granted as part of this year’s Community Monuments Fund include:

  • €130,000 for St Anne’s Church, Shandon, Cork for capital conservation works.
  • €100,000 Ballycogly Castle, Co Wexford for capital conservation works.
  • €29,963 for Dunhill Castle and Graveyard in Waterford for conservation management plans.
  • €30,000 for St Patrick's Well, Clonfad, Monaghan for enhancement to access and infrastructure.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, TD, said:

“I am delighted to announce these awards under the 2025 Community Monuments Fund. The importance of our archaeological heritage cannot be overstated and this fund has a very real and profound impact on the custodians and communities in our cities, villages, towns and countryside.


“I sincerely thank the owners of archaeological monuments for their dedication to the preservation of our wonderful heritage. This investment will ensure that our built heritage can continue to be enjoyed by local and visiting communities, as well as acting to create work and preserve important traditional skills in towns and villages right across Ireland.”

Speaking today, Minister of State O’Sullivan said:

“As we approach World Heritage Day, the international Day for Monuments and Sites, on Friday 18 April, I am thrilled to announce 122 awards worth €7.5 million under the 2025 Community Monuments Fund. This vital initiative not only preserves our rich heritage but also strengthens the connection between our communities and their history creating opportunities for education and tourism.

Since this fund was first introduced in 2020, it has invested €25.5 million in communities nationwide. It is now a bedrock of our support for archaeological heritage across the country helping conserve buildings as varied as churches, roundtowers, castles, forts, barracks and, abbeys.

“This scheme helps to build robustness in our heritage against the extremes of weather, addressing key actions in our Climate Adaptation Plan as well as under Heritage Ireland 2030. These awards also deliver jobs for the heritage sector and traditional skills craftspeople, providing thousands of hours of employment every year.”

“The quality of applications for the fund for 2025 has been extraordinary and I wish all of the award recipients, including the many spearheaded by local communities, the best of luck in rolling out their projects.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The full list of awards is available online.

The Community Monuments Fund has three streams:

  1. Stream 1: grants up to €100,000 aimed at essential repairs and capital works for the conservation and repair of archaeological monuments.
  2. Stream 2: grants of up to €30,000 for development of Conservation Management Plans/Reports that are aimed at identifying measures for conservation of archaeological monuments and improving public access.
  3. Stream 3: grants of up to €30,000 for enhancement of access infrastructure and interpretation (including virtual/online) at archaeological monuments.

Eligible projects are drawn from the following categories:

  • projects proposed by a Local Authority in relation to archaeological monuments in public ownership, where a clear heritage focus and community or public benefit has been demonstrated.
  • projects proposed by a Local Authority on foot of applications from private applicants who are the owners or custodians of relevant archaeological monuments where there is a tangible public benefit.
  • projects with a clearly defined heritage focus and community or public benefit proposed directly to the Department by a State-funded organisation working in the heritage area.