More than a dozen Cork  projects to share in €220k heritage funding windfall

Thirteen projects in Cork have secured a total of €223,760 in funding to conserve and celebrate cultural and natural heritage.

Under the Heritage Council’s 2025 Community Heritage Grant Scheme, €25,000 has been allocated to Skibbereen & District Historical Society, to restore the historic train mural painted in 1994 by local artist, the late Russell Barrett, depicting the last train to leave Skibbereen.

A further €25,000 in funding has also been awarded to the Saleen & District Residents’ Association for the conservation of 19th-century stone walls along the Saleen Creek–Jamesbrook roadway at East Cork.

Other Cork awards include €24,845 to Crosshaven Community Association Ltd; €24,971 to YMCA Ireland (ROI); €23,205 to Ballynamona Graveyard Group; €22,889 to Irish Heritage Trust CLG; €18,727 to Mealagh Valley Community Centre Ltd; €18,000 to The Firkin Crane; €12,717 to Allihies Copper Mine Museum; €10,849 to Arts @ Civic Trust House; €10,000 to Cork Traveller Visibility Group; €7,846 to Ross Union of Parishes, and €4,887 to Ballyhoura Development CLG.

Completed

All funded projects can begin work immediately and are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Cork South West TD and minister of state for nature, heritage and biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, said that the funding would enable communities to safeguard their local heritage.

“Community groups and heritage organisations do incredible work in preserving our natural, cultural and built heritage for generations to come," said Mr O'Sullivan

“The restoration of the historic train mural in Skibbereen, the conservation efforts at the Allihies Copper Mine Museum, and the work being done to preserve the Ross Union of Parishes in Rosscarbery are all fantastic examples of the impact of this scheme.”

Virginia Teehan, chief executive of the Heritage Council, added: “Whether it’s restoring a local landmark, recording oral histories, or creating habitats for biodiversity, these projects have a tangible and lasting impact.”