Eur 19m grants allocated for conserving buildings

An Taisce's heritage officer has complained that the funding comparesextremely poorly with other EU countries.

Cathedrals, schools, a Martello tower, and a lightkeeper's house are among the buildings that will benefit from conservation grants announced by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen.

Of almost €19 million in grants co-funded by the EU, €1.132 million has been allocated for the architectural conservation of public buildings. A further €2.8 million goes to the "protected structures" grant scheme for privately owned buildings.

This funding is, however, "substantially down on what was recommended", said Mr Ian Lumley, An Taisce's heritage officer.

The funding compares "extremely poorly with other EU countries", he said. "The roof repair of a major church in one county could eat up the entire allocation for the county."

The funding is an annual allocation under a number of programmes sponsored by the EU.

Some €8 million has been allocated for the six Border counties under the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation.

The main funding goes to the urban and village renewal package under the National Development Plan, which includes €6.5 million for regeneration in the State's five main cities - Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford - and conservation funding for publicly and privately owned buildings.

The Minister said the local authorities had a key role in the management of the programme, which would continue to eliminate disparities between and within the south-east and the border midlands west - BMW - regions to "develop the potential of both to contribute to the continued prosperity of the country".

A €200,000 grant has also been allocated to the Dublin Docklands Development Authority for "graving" - the cleaning of the underside of ships. The service operates from Grand Canal Dock.

Each of the State's local authorities has been allocated funding totalling €2.88 million to administer grants for the conservation of privately owned buildings, but An Taisce has been extremely critical of this system.

Mr Lumley said that Ireland had signed up to the Granada Convention under which architectural conservation legislation was supposed to increase legal protection, support conservation and introduce a proper listing system for buildings. "But we are not complying with the Granada Convention and don't have a proper list system." He said local authorities could drop buildings at will from the list.

The largest amount in the urban renewal scheme of €623,000 goes to Dublin City Council, with €150,00 for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and €250,000 for Cork County Council. Dublin South, Fingal, Kildare, and Limerick have been allocated €100,000.

Under the Peace II Programme, €3.6 million has been allocated for "building better communities" while a further €4.04 million is for rural communities in the Border counties.

The Minister said the funding would continue to "enhance peace building and social inclusion by encouraging and supporting locally based social, economic and cultural activity".

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The Beneficiaries:

the people...

She was the John McCormack of her time. Catherine Hayes was the great Irish diva of the mid-19th century. At the height of her career in the mid 1850s, she was internationally renowned and a performer at La Scala, the home of Italian opera.

She was born over a shop in St Patrick's Street in Limerick, a late Georgian building and under the conservation allocation her birthplace will receive 18,000 in funding. Limerick Civic Trust and An Taisce have long championed her birthplace, and An Taisce's heritage officer, Mr Ian Lumley, said he was very pleased at the allocation for the building.

The home of another Irish celebrity of the 19th century, Thomas Wise, in Co Waterford, is also to benefit under the grant scheme, which was introduced in 1999 under the Planning Act. Thomas Wise was the first Catholic to become an ambassador in the 19th century and his house - the Manor of St John - in Lisduggan will receive 18,000.

the monuments...

Ireland's own version of the Roman Pantheon is included in the conservation funding. The Dawson Memorial in Co Monaghan will receive 25,000 for refurbishment. It was a heritage site of international prominence until its statue was very badly vandalised.

In Co Wexford, the Browne Clayton monument, a structure like Nelson's Column, receives 30,000 for the repair of the top of the structure, which was struck by lightning. Wexford County Council, An Taisce and the World Monuments Fund have been involved in the restoration of this project, which is of international significance. The monument, on the Wexford-New Ross Road, has an internal staircase, and was built by local landlord, Browne Clayton.

One of Ireland's most dramatically located Martello towers is also to benefit from conservation funding. A grant of 15,000 has been allocated for the tower, on Bere Island, Co Cork, while the Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork City, which has a dramatic interior, is to receive the same amount.

the churches...

More than 20 cathedrals and churches are included in the grant schemes for the architectural conservation of public buildings and private structures.

In Co Cork, seven churches and cathedrals will receive some level of funding. Cork's oldest church, St Anne's in Shandon, has been allocated 30,000 while the 1860s St Finbarr's Cathedral is to receive 25,000 and the same amount will go to St Fachtna's Cathedral in Rosscarbery.

St John's Cathedral with Limerick's tallest spire is in need of roof repairs estimated at more than 2 million - 25,000 has been allocated towards this. Christ Church Cathedral in Waterford is to receive €18,000 while the pilgrimage church on Our Lady's Island at Broadway, Co Wexford has been allocated 7,000.

The Claremorris branch library in Co Mayo is a former church and has been allocated 18,000 for refurbishment, while €25,000 is to go to St Saviour's Church in Arklow, Co Wicklow, for conservation.

In Co Tipperary, the Holy Trinity Church in Fethard is to receive €18,000.