Minister O’Brien announces over €400,000 to protect archaeological monuments in Fingal

€410,854 awarded to 5 projects in Dublin Fingal
 
Investment will help to conserve, maintain, protect and promote local monuments
 
Fund will create thousands of hours of employment for specialist craftspeople and traditional skills practitioners
 
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has today announced that over €400,000 will be awarded to 5 projects across Fingal through the 2024 Community Monuments Fund (CMF) to help owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future.
 
First established in 2020, the Community Monuments Fund aims to conserve, maintain, protect and promote local monuments and historic sites.
 
Funding is available to allow conservation works to be carried out on monuments that are deemed to be significant and in need of urgent support. The aim is to encourage access to monuments and improve their presentation and also to build their resilience to help them withstand the effects of climate change.
 
The CMF supports essential repairs and capital works for the conservation of archaeological monuments and also the development of Conservation Management Plans to identify measures that may be needed to conserve monuments. Grants are also available to enhance public access infrastructure and interpretation at archaeological monuments.
 
Projects awarded funding this year include:

1. St Columba's Towers - €120,000
2. Lanistown Castle - €120,000
3. Balrothery Tower House - €110,905
4. St. Fintan's Ecclesiastical Site - €30,000
5. St. Doulough's Ecclesiastical Site - €29,950

Speaking today, Minister O’Brien said: “I am delighted that we can announce another significant number of awards under the 2024 Community Monuments Fund. This investment will help to ensure that heritage projects in Fingal will progress, ensuring the protection of our archaeological heritage as a community asset to be made more accessible to the public.
 
I’ve visited many of these sites in Fingal and through this fund, we have been able to support Local Authorities across the country and custodians in protecting our outstanding yet sensitive and vulnerable archaeological heritage.
 
Since its inception in 2020, this fund has become a lifeline for the protection of Ireland’s irreplaceable archaeological heritage by revitalising historic monuments Fingal and further afield.
 
Through this, it is enabling valuable investment in the wider heritage sector, creating thousands of hours of employment for specialist craftspeople and traditional skills practitioners, as well as supporting the achievement of national commitments under Heritage Ireland 2030 and the Climate Adaptation Plan for Built and Archaeological Heritage. I’d like to congratulate the successful applicants and wish them the very best of luck in with their projects this year.”

A full breakdown of the funding awarded under the 2024 Community Monuments Fund can be viewed online at the link below:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fbbef-community-monuments-fund-list-of-awards-2024/