20 June 2024
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Cork County Council has awarded €44,600 in grant funding under the Council’s Heritage Grant Scheme. A total of 26 projects and initiatives across all eight of the county’s Municipal Districts will benefit from this year’s funding.
Cork County Council’s Heritage Grant Schemes, supported by The Heritage Council, have been in operation for a number of years and have resulted in excellent projects focusing on a variety of natural, built, archaeological and cultural heritage. The growing appeal of the scheme is illustrated by a notable rise of 20% in the number of applications compared to the 2023 programme.
Successful projects include Heritage Week initiatives, video documentaries, podcast series and conservation reports for important local heritage buildings, exhibitions, heritage festivals, natural heritage projects and a range of heritage publications.
Awarded projects include the Ellen Hutchins Festival in Bantry, featuring workshops titled ‘Magnificent Moss’ which will engage the public with the significance, importance and beauty of mosses; Cumann na Daoine’s ‘Bobby Bickerdike Exhibition’ in Youghal; Tracton Biodiversity Groups two-day community led exhibition celebrating the deep connection between Irish culture, the land and our biodiversity; Bill Powers publication titled ‘Vagabonds, Thieves, Rioters and Trouble Makers’ and Kevin Collins video documentary series on the ‘Castles of County Cork.’
Welcoming the allocations, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Frank O’Flynn highlighted how, ‘The County Cork Heritage Grant Scheme is an excellent initiative. Our county is rich in history, with a deep-rooted connection to natural heritage, cultural heritage, built heritage, folklore, traditional crafts and so much more. It is crucial that this history is preserved for future generations. The Heritage Scheme will provide valuable support for the exceptional efforts made by individuals and groups across the county in preserving our heritage.’
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Valerie O’Sullivan, acknowledged the importance of community groups and heritage associations, ‘Local Community Groups and Heritage Associations are instrumental in the preservation and promotion of our heritage in County Cork. We are blessed with hundreds of groups that greatly value the history and heritage of our locality. This announcement of €44,600 for 26 projects is a clear indication of our commitment to invest in the county’s heritage. This initiative will benefit communities but will also enhance our tourism offering, with a growing number of heritage attractions visited by people near and far each year.’
Many of the projects will culminate in events for National Heritage Week 2024, which takes place from Saturday the 17th to Sunday the 25th of August. For more information on these schemes, email corkheritage@corkcoco.ie.
Details of the successful projects are available at County Cork Heritage Grant Scheme 2024