Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan and the Chair of the Heritage Council, Michael Parsons announce €1m in funding for seven Historic Towns

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Minister Josepha Madigan, T.D. and Michael Parsons, Chair of the Heritage Council, today announced that seven historic towns are to be awarded an aggregate of €1m in capital funding under the Historic Towns Initiative 2018.

This follows a competitive process inviting local authorities to propose projects for heritage-led regeneration in one historic town in their area. The towns successful in this round of funding are:

• Youghal, Co. Cork
• Portlaoise, Co. Laois
• Kilmallock, Co. Limerick
• Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
• Kells, Co. Meath
• Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan
• Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary

Speaking yesterday, Minister Madigan said:

“I would like to congratulate the seven successful towns that will benefit from the Historic Towns Initiative 2018, which is funded by my Department and operated by the Heritage Council. These towns have come through a tough competitive process where all of the applications were of a very high standard. This funding will support the seven towns in their programmes of heritage-led regeneration and help them to build on their cultural heritage to drive investment in regeneration and renewal in their town.

“It’s wonderful to be in a position to support such a range of projects in each province. The projects, taken together, give a flavour of the variety of heritage initiatives that can be undertaken to better present the historic narrative of our heritage townscapes.

The Heritage Council is very grateful for the support of Minister Madigan, and I hope that the success of this year’s round of projects will inspire others to explore the heritage potential of their towns in future years.”

The Ballinrobe Archaeological & Historical Society is very grateful for the support towards our historic monuments and feel that Ballinrobe is on the cusp of a Renaissance.

Long may it continue to be a lovely town to work, live and bring up families and enjoy the sports and amenities of the area.