18 May 2017
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
St Fin barres Cathedral
St. Fin Barres Marble Panel Conservation, Turf Projects at Bere Island, Cork Folklore Project Memory Wall and Cork LGBT Archive
The Heritage Council and the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys have today announced funding for a number of heritage projects in County Cork under its 2017 Community Heritage Grants Scheme.
A total of 196 heritage projects nationwide have been awarded funding under the scheme, which supports the continuing conservation and development of Irish heritage through local community based groups. Funding of 800,000 has been offered through the Heritage Council and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and 429 projects across the country applied for funding.
Michael Parsons, Heritage Council Acting Chair, commented, “the Community Grants Scheme continues to be 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 across the country will benefit from support. These projects contribute to local economies, improve our tourism product and give people the opportunity to contribute to their local community. In addition they help keep important parts of our Heritage alive.”
Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys said, “I am delighted that my Department is in a position to support these very worthwhile schemes which provide a boost to heritage groups and projects around the country. This round of funding focuses on community projects and events that make it easy for members of the public to learn about our heritage during National Heritage Week, as well as a diverse number of cultural projects and ongoing support for our vernacular thatched buildings. I am a great believer in the importance of supporting local heritage projects, which play such an important role in community life in every county nationwide.
I would like to commend the communities which have been successful in securing funding; it’s a competitive process and being selected is a clear reflection of a top quality project. Through the Action Plan for Rural Development, I will be prioritising increased funding for heritage projects which have such a positive and tangible impact on our rural towns and villages.”
The Community Heritage Grant Scheme supports projects that promote an appreciation and enjoyment of heritage and make a lasting difference to heritage, people and communities.
An example of the projects that have received funding in Cork include,
– Urban otters of Cork City – To increase the level of awareness of the importance of rivers for biodiversity. i)To encourage understanding of urban otters ii)To promote rivers as a resource within urban areas. Applicant – Cork Nature Network. Amount Awarded – €3400
– “Magic Tales of Cork” Radio Drama – a radio drama series that adapts 5 forgotten fairy tales about Cork (as recorded by T. Crofton Croker) to be aired during Heritage Week, bringing our folklore to life. Applicant – Cork New Life Media. Amount Awarded – €2000
– People and Nature Poetry Night, for Heritage Week at Ó Bhéal – To encourage positive relationships with nature through the writing of poetry and via listening to poets who excel in the field of nature. Applicant – Ó Bhéal. Amount Awarded – €500
– Restoration of Parish Marriage & Baptismal Registers – To carry out conservation work to halt deterioration of parish baptism and marriage registers. Applicant – Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne. Amount Awarded €3000.
– Cork Folklore Project Memory Wall – Increase access to CFP oral collection through the creation of a mobile audio visual unit, with categorized audio selections from CFP, to be initially installed in Cork’s historic North Chapel. Applicant – Cork Folklore Project. Amount Awarded €6000
– Cork LGBT Archive – cataloguing and dissemination – To develop and implement a cataloguing system for the Cork LGBT Archive collection and to organise the further dissemination of information to the public about the history of the Cork LGBT Community. Applicant – Cork LGBT Archive. Amount Awarded – €3000
– St. Fin Barres Marble Panel Conservation – To restore decorative marble panels which are part of an overall mid-19th century William Burges decorative scheme in the Nave of this internationally significant cathedral. Applicant – St. Fin Barres Cathedral Cork. Amount Awarded – €10000
– Destination Gougane Barra – to gather the heritage and stories of the Gougane Barra area and digitise all the material via the ActiveMe App to provide for a wider audience. Applicant – Neil Lucey. Amount Awarded – €5000
– Ellen Hutchins Multimedia Heritage Trail & Festival, Bantry Bay, West Cork – To create a heritage trail using the story of Ellen Hutchins (1785-1815), Ireland’s first female botanist, to guide people to some of Bantry Bay’s botanical, landscape & historical highlights. Applicant – Ellen Hutchins Festival. Amount Awarded – €1000
– Turf Projects: Bere Island Colour Palette – Create site-specific photographic colour palettes recording historical place names. Collaborate with locals, initiating dialogue re. place names & choosing paint colours for use on island. Applicant – Paula Barrett. Amount Awarded – €5000
– Arderin Monkstown, Early Victorian Plasterwork repair and training workshop – To repair early Victorian internal decorative cornice and provide an educational workshop on the topic for interested parties. Applicant – Therese Ryan. Amount awarded – €9000
– Donnybrook House – Render conservation and CPD course – To render the rear of this important early 18th century building and to provide an educational workshop/CPD course in the process. Applicant – Robbie Crichton. Amount Awarded – €9000
– Swift Conservation Ireland 2017 – Raise awareness about the Swift, providing community groups with skills required to protect and increase their town’s Swift population through informative talks, survey training and nest box projects. Applicant – Lynda Huxley. Amount Awarded – €8500
