Built Heritage Investment Scheme and Historic Structures Fund 2024

14 March 2024

676 built heritage projects, spread out across 31 local authority areas, are to benefit from €9 million in funding under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and Historic Structures Fund 2024.

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) will assist custodians and owners of protected structures, and structures within Architectural Conservation Areas, in meeting their obligations to care for their historic properties.  Through grants of up to €15,000, the BHIS will be used to undertake essential conservation works at 562 historic properties including joinery and roof repair, lime rendering, draught-proofing windows and repairing stained glass.

The BHIS is not limited to private dwellings and gives valuable financial assistance to a wide range of heritage sites.  Examples offered funding under the BHIS 2024 include the conservation and repair of windows at the former Provincial Bank of Ireland (1858-9) in Cootehill, County Cavan; the repair of rainwater goods at Letterkenny Courthouse (1828-31) in County Donegal; the cleaning of the statue of Christ the King (1930) in Market Square, Gort, County Galway; the repair of a decorative cast-iron canopy at the Club House Hotel in Kilkenny; the repointing of brick work at Vicarstown National School (1868) in County Laois; the consolidation of a lime kiln in County Limerick; and the repair of two historic shopfronts in County Mayo.  80 thatched buildings have also been awarded funding under the BHIS 2024.

The Historic Structures Fund (HSF) will support custodians and owners of protected structures in maintaining and safeguarding their historic properties with grants, ranging from €15,000 to €200,000, assisting in essential conservation and repair works including casement and sash window repair, conservation of joinery and iron work, repointing stone work, roof repairs and thatching.

The HSF will assist in the conservation and repair of a wide variety of historic properties and protected structures and, in addition to churches and private houses, projects offered funding include the repair of a lime kiln forming part of the Kilnaboy Geopark Heritage Trail in County Clare; the repair and repointing of the walls of Marsh’s Library (1701-3) in Dublin; the repair and re-slating of the roofs at Oughterard Railway Station (1895) in County Galway; the consolidation and stabilisation of Eask Tower (1847) in County Kerry; the continued conservation of the eye-catching Wonderful Barn (1743) in County Kildare; the stabilisation of the ruins of Woodstock House, Inistioge, County Kilkenny; the restoration of the character of a shopfront in Market Street, Trim, County Meath, based on evidence from historic photographs; the repair of the windows in the stable yard at Lough Key Forest Park, Rockingham, County Roscommon; the re-slating of the roof of the governor’s house at the former North Tipperary County Gaol (1839-42) in Nenagh; and the restoration of the character of a post office in Main Street, Shillelagh, County Wicklow, based on evidence from historic photographs.

The lists of projects offered funding under the BHIS 2024 and HSF 2024, broken down by local authority, can be downloaded below:

Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2024 Grant Offers

Historic Structures Fund 2024 Grant Offers

📷 Governor’s House at North Tipperary County Gaol (1839-42), O’Rahilly Street, Nenagh, County Tipperary