The Heritage Council is now accepting applications from voluntary or community groups and not for profit non-governmental organisations in Clare for its Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2025.
In 2024, the scheme funded the Cuimhneamh an Chláir / Clare Memories group to archive its oral histories with the Digital Repository of Ireland. The Old Ennistymon Heritage Company was funded to undertake repair works to the Ennistymon Courthouse building using traditional lime mortar techniques.
In addition, X-PO Kilnaboy was funded to make a film on the traditional method of cutting reed for thatching on the wetlands of the Shannon Estuary.
A broad range of project types are eligible for funding under the scheme, including: conservation works; surveys and reports to inform conservation plans; accessibility projects that make heritage activities more accessible; purchase of specialised equipment; projects that address the heritage of minority groups; training in traditional skills and crafts; and citizen science projects on environmental conservation
The minimum grant that can be requested through the scheme is €500, with the maximum grant set at €25,000.
The variety of applicants who successfully secured funding in 2024 demonstrates the positive impact the scheme has across the heritage spectrum. A full list of projects funded last year and an overview of eligibility criteria and other relevant details are available from the Heritage Council’s website.
Congella McGuire, Heritage Officer, Clare County Council, said, “The Heritage Council Community Grant Scheme is a very valuable source of support for the many communities throughout Clare wishing to progress a local heritage project. Natural, built, and cultural heritage initiatives in the county have been progressed with the support of this funding, such as the lovely film about the Traditional Reed-Cutters on the Shannon Estuary, Working on the Margins, which was screened recently at the de Valera Library and the X-PO in Kilnaboy.”
The closing date for applications is Friday, March 14, 2025 at 11pm.
Applications must be made via the Heritage Council’s online grants management system. Funded projects must be completed by November 14, 2025.