Ernest Shackleton’s cabin and cathedral windows on funding list
The Heritage Council is distributing the funding to the projects after assessing more than 400 projects.
The scheme supports the continuing conservation and development of Irish heritage through local community-based groups.
Athy Heritage Centre Museum is receiving €10,000 for the conservation and restoration of the interior of the Quest Cabin — the cabin where Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton spent his final hours.
A total of 154 projects across Cork city and country have received funding totalling just over €57,000.
The largest amount of funding went to the AK ILEN Company for the conservation of wooden ships, AK Ilen’s deck, and to Robbie Crichton for the conservation of the north and south towers of Donnybrook House. Both of these projects received €10,000.
Other projects receiving funding include the Cork LGBT Archive/Cork Gay Project which received €6,000 for acid-free boxes to store, sort, and catalogue a LGBT heritage collection, including a variety of objects and documents reflecting Cork’s LGBT Heritage.
St FinBarres Cathedral is getting €7,000 for stained glass window protection and water ingress.
Heritage Council chairman Conor Newman said the diverse range of projects being funded reflected Ireland’s cultural identity and distinctiveness as a people.
“If properly resourced, they have the potential to give back to the community and to the country for generations to come. They are a hugely popular initiative, and while we weren’t able to support all of the projects which applied, I am very pleased that so many projects will benefit.”
“These projects keep threatened aspects of our heritage alive and provide people with an opportunity to be directly involved in developing the future of their places.
“Many of the projects reflect years of ongoing work at community level to protect our heritage for the future,” he said.
Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts, and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys, said funding can also contribute to job creation. “Schemes such as this one help to conserve our heritage, support the local economy, boost tourism, and make our country a better place in which to live and work. By continuing to invest in our heritage, we can show that historic buildings and places are not only an intrinsic part of Ireland’s heritage, but can also provide a real boost to job creation in the construction, conservation and tourism sectors,” she said.
