Incentives to safeguard cultural inheritance in Cork

Government schemes offering financial supports to conserve historic buildings offers a chance to safeguard our cultural inheritance, the Mayor of the County of Cork has said.

The County Mayor, Independent councillor Mary Linehan-Foley, was speaking after the schemes were announced by James Browne, minister for housing, local government and heritage, and Christopher O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South West and minister of state for nature, heritage and biodiversity.

The schemes are the 2026 Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Thatched Buildings Stream (HTB).

Under the BHIS, successful applicants can receive grants of up to €50,000 for works to repair and conserve protected structures, proposed protected structures and properties located within architectural conservation areas.

The scheme also offers funding of up to €30,000 for buildings with distinctive local and regional character. In previous years many different projects, ranging from churches and thatched houses to country houses, town houses and school buildings have been supported under this scheme.

The HTB Stream supports repairs to historic thatched buildings. Owners or occupiers of historic thatched structures — domestic or commercial — can apply for 80% of total cost of conservation works, up to a maximum value of €20,000.

Ms Linehan-Foley said safeguarding our heritage buildings was of vital importance.

“I welcome this announcement and encourage people to avail of these schemes in order to preserve older buildings, many of which are the heart of our communities as well as cultural resources where we reside and work,” she said.

The deadline for submission of completed applications under the scheme is 4pm on Friday, September 26.