Cork TD welcomes €15k grant to support local commemorative events

A Cork TD has said that a Government grant funding allocation to Cork City Council to support local commemorative events in 2025 will help honour our local history.

Jerry Buttimer, Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central and minister of state at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of Transport, said the allocation of €15,000 to the city council would be used to help fund commemorative events over the year.

“We are an open-minded and forward-focused community, but now more than ever it’s important to reflect on our history, things that happened locally that impacted on people, and are important to commemorate,” he said.

“If we don’t keep these memories of our shared history alive, they risk being lost forever. We must commemorate them, we owe it to our ancestors, and to future generations too.”

Mr Buttimer added that local authorities had always been key stakeholders in the delivery of commemorative events.

The allocation of €15,000 will ensure the city council can develop and support “community-led commemorative initiatives to mark the centenaries of locally significant historical events that took place here in 1925”, Mr Buttimer said.

“The funding may also be used to mark other significant anniversaries and associated themes.

“This year, €5,000 from this overall allocation is provided to support artistic and creative initiatives.

“I look forward to seeing what Cork City Council plans, in light of local history, experience, and expertise.”

Arts minister Patrick O’Donovan said it was his hope that the commemorative funding for 2025 would continue to facilitate the creation of opportunities for communities to consider the formative events of our past.

“I look forward to continuing the partnership approach with Jerry Buttimer and local authorities and local communities, and I wish you well in your commemorative plans for 2025.

“Last year was a transitional year for commemorations following the completion of the decade of centenaries programme in December 2023,” he said. “We continued to mark historical events and themes using the structure and ethos established by the decade of centenaries programme.”