Latest Laois News: Laois Heritage Projects Awarded Funding

Laois Heritage Projects Awarded Funding under Community Heritage Grants 

Five Laois heritage projects have been awarded funding totalling over €44,000 by the National Heritage Council under the Community Heritage Grants Scheme. Nationally, the scheme will see €1.2 million allocated to community groups and not-for-profit organisations. This follows on from an award of €374,599 made to community heritage projects in April 2021. 

The funding will boost local economies, grow tourism, and enhance community spirit by supporting local heritage projects. The projects are all undertaken by voluntary groups and the topics in Laois range from improved access  for people with disabilities at Donaghmore Workhouse, and community monitoring of Climate Change on local built heritage to conservation of historic newspapers reporting the historic first East West Transatlantic Flight by the Col James Fitzmaurice and digital recording of medieval monuments. 

Five Laois heritage projects have been awarded funding totalling over €44,000

Welcoming the grant awards, Cathaoirleach Catherine Fitzgerald said the following;

“These Heritage Council grants amount of over €44,000 to be injected into the Laois economy and I’d like to congratulate each of the voluntary groups involved –  the Col James Fitzmaurice Commemoration Society, Donaghmore Famine Workhouse & Agricultural Museum, Mountmellick Development Association, Laois Heritage Society and Laois Federation of Tidy Towns for their hard work on behalf of the people and heritage of the county. Laois always punches above its weight when it comes to quality and quantity of community heritage projects and I’m delighted to see that trend continuing. I wish all of the groups the best with their projects and look forward to hearing about some of them during Heritage Week in August”. 

Sean Murray, Chairman of Laois Heritage Society said as follows;

“We are delighted to have obtained funding for digital 3-D modelling recording of three sites in Co. Laois. The survey will include sites identified as of National importance with regards to the Early Church tradition in Ireland. The Hiberno-Romanesque doorways of Killeshin Church and Timahoe Round tower and Early Medieval Cross Slabs uncovered at Clonenagh in 1989, which were associated with St. Fintan’s Monastery there, will all feature as part of the project. The project will engage with the local communities in the areas and workshops are planned later in the year to train people who have an interest in the digital recording heritage monuments”. 

Improved access for people with disabilities at Donaghmore Workhouse and digital recording of medieval monuments among successful projects

Commenting on the announcement, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, had this to say;

“I would like to acknowledge the fantastic work of the Heritage Council in supporting community heritage through this important scheme. As the scope and scale of these projects illustrate, communities play a vital role in caring for all aspects of our heritage. The new national heritage plan, Heritage Ireland 2030, which will be published later this summer, will recognise the role of communities in safeguarding our heritage and ensure that they continue to be supported.” 

 Minister Pippa Hackett added the following statement:

“Laois is taking the preservation of its heritage very seriously and it’s heartening to see funding coming to the county for these projects. It shows that people in local communities value their past. Laois County Council and the Federation of Tidy Towns in the county have done well to put in applications and receive this funding.”

Chairman of The Heritage Council, Michael Parsons, said the following;

“These schemes continue to provide a central focus for the work of The Heritage Council. They are testament to the close collaboration between the Council, local authorities and community groups, all sharing a common purpose.” 

Among successful projects were community monitoring of Climate Change on local built heritage to conservation of historic newspapers reporting the historic first East West Transatlantic Flight by the Col James Fitzmaurice

Details of Laois projects awarded funding below.