Local Communities In Wicklow To Benefit From Almost €100,000 in Heritage Funding

Wildlife, local economies and tourism in Wicklow are set to benefit from Heritage Council funding of €97,100 for seven individual projects.

The Heritage Council’s Community Heritage Grant Scheme will help to conserve and restore built, cultural and natural heritage throughout the county.

Work on these projects can begin immediately which will see local communities enriched through initiatives, from making previously unseen works of art available to the public, to equipping local communities with skills needed to protect biodiversity, to making landmarks of national significance accessible again.

The projects will all be completed by the end of the year.

The projects to receive funding in County Wicklow include the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation which will be offered €20,000 to design a high quality, dynamic interpretation and visitors experience which will share the rich heritage of the Glencree site with the community in creative and accessible ways.

The Rathnew Heritage Group will use its funding of €19,457 to create a Wicklow Community Archival Heritage film featuring hitherto unused footage captured by Mr JT O’Byrne, former Wicklow County Engineer and also the General Secretary for the Wicklow RNLI.

The footage shows his interests in engineering works, mining, lifeboat material, harbour life, political and religious events. The film will be made by the Glenealy IT students who will be taught the skills of digitisation, editing, sound and documentary making.

Birdwatch Ireland is getting €19,500 for a Coast Nature Reserve project while the Arklow Town Team is receiving funding of €14,000 for the Arklow Pottery Online project.

Avoca Parish Finance Committee will spend its grant of €9,600 on conservation work at St Mary’s and St Patrick’s Church.

Rewild Wicklow will spend €8,500 on Phase 2 of the Barnaculian Ridge Peatland Restoration and Roundwood and District Historical Archaeological and Folklore Society is receiving €5,953 to fund its Castlekevin project.