14/10/20 - Heritage Council funding for Donegal projects

The Heritage Council has awarded €45,000 in funding for six heritage initiatives in County Donegal to community groups throughout the county. The funding announced under the government’s jobs stimulus package is intended to provide much-needed support for the heritage sector. 

The Heritage Council has provided funding to the Disert Heritage Group for the conservation and repair of a quernstone on the altar at the Disert archaeological site under the Community Heritage Grants Scheme.

“The Community Heritage Grants Scheme this year was aimed at supporting capital projects to improve access to heritage sites and applying good heritage practice to the management of natural, built and cultural heritage” said Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer.  “Although the scheme is very competitive, Donegal-based heritage groups secured over 8% of the €540,000 in national funding available.  The Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grant Scheme is one of the few remaining dedicated sources of heritage funding.  Due to cutbacks in the Heritage Council budget, it has not been in a position to offer this grant scheme for the past couple of years so the late announcement this year came as welcome news to many heritage groups.  The fact that The Heritage Council received three times more applications than the funding that was available is testament to the active heritage sector in the country.  There are over 250 heritage groups or community groups with a heritage remit in County Donegal alone.”     

An ecological survey of Loughadoon will be commissioned by the Donegal GAP Heritage & History Group with funding from the Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grant Scheme.

Under the Community Heritage Grants Scheme, The Heritage Council awarded funding for 3D mapping and an access and recreation survey of Inishtrahull Island to the Inishtrahull Bird Observatory (€14,900); funding for the conservation of a quernstone artefact/relic at Disert archaeological site to the Disert Heritage Group (€1,500); funding for the preparation of an ecological survey of Loughadoon to Donegal GAP Heritage & History Group (€3,700); funding for conservation works to the House on the Brae, Ramelton by the Ramelton Georgian Society (€15,000); funding for geophysical and photogrammetry surveys of Malin Well Old Church heritage site by Malin Head Heritage Group (€5,000) and funding for an inventory and condition survey of ‘The Laurels’ – Brian Friel’s mother home – in Glenties to the Brain Friel Trust (€4,900).   

The Malin Head Heritage Group will commission geophysical and photogrammetry surveys of Malin Well Old Church heritage site under the Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grants Scheme. 

The Heritage Council hopes to invite applications to the Community Heritage Grants Scheme at the start of next year for 2021.  If your group would like to start preparing an application to the grant scheme is 2021, advice is available from the County Donegal Heritage Office of Donegal County Council on (074) 917 2576 or by e-mail at [email protected]

Conservation works to the House on the Brae in Ramelton will receive part-funding under the Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grants scheme.