Six Kilkenny Projects Awarded Funding under 2023 Community Monuments Fund
Six Kilkenny projects have been awarded funding totalling €396,731.48 under the 2023 Community Monuments Fund.
The Community Monuments Fund was established in 2020 by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide investment in Ireland’s archaeological heritage. This funding is prioritised for Local Authorities, private owners and custodians and community groups for the care, conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of archaeological monuments.
The aim of the Community Monuments Fund is to invest in essential capital in our archaeological heritage to help owners and custodians of archaeological monuments safeguard them into the future for the benefit of communities and the public.
In Kilkenny, this funding is administered by the Heritage Office in Kilkenny County Council in partnership with the Environment Section of Kilkenny County Council. Work will begin on these projects in June 2023.The following six Kilkenny projects have been awarded funding under the 2023 Community Monuments Fund:
MacGiolla Phadraig Tomb, Grangefertagh
Grangefertagh Medieval Church and Graveyard
€120,000 has been awarded under Stream 1 of the fund to carry out capital works to repair outer wall of graveyard and protect O’Tuney tombs. Grangefertagh received Stream 2 funding last year for the development of a conservation management plan. This project will put into place some of the recommendations of that plan. The O’Tuney tombs are of national cultural significance and church and graveyard share a site with Grangefertagh Tower, an OPW site.
Thomple Medieval Church & Graveyard
Thomple Medieval Church and Graveyard
€60,679.38 has been awarded under Stream 1 of the fund to do urgently needed conservation work at this site. Masonry repairs including consolidation, rebuilding collapses and repointing to the walls, repairing gate to vault entrance. This work will carry out some of the recommendations of a Conservation Management Report commissioned by Thomastown Community Trust in 2017. The church is associated with St Teghán and is said to have been of Norman origin. However, an earlier Celtic building is said to have stood there. The mullion window on the east gable is said to be 14th century. An 18th century vault sits inside the east gable.
Infirmary Wall, Duiske Abbey
(application made by Michael Doran, Graiguenamanagh)
€64,392.10 has been awarded under Stream 1 for urgently needed conservation and stabilization works on the Infirmary Wall if Duiske Abbey, Grauguenamanagh. The wall is part of the Cistercian abbey of Duiske de Valle Sancti Salvatoris (valley of the Holy Redeemer) which was founded in 1204 by William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke and Leinster. The standing wall is thought to be the gable of the Abbot’s House or the Infirmary. The wall is close to the quay of the River Barrow situated in the car park for Supervalu.
West wall of the Augustinian Priory of St John the Evangelist, Kilkenny City
The Butler Gallery Kilkenny has recently been moved into what was originally called Evan’s Home, an almshouse built in 1818 by Joseph Evans to house twelve men and twelve women. The building and surrounding grounds have been conserved and developed as a gallery with the exception of the boundary wall to the south of the gallery which remains in a poor state. Stabilisation and conservation works will be carried out on this wall to preserve it for future generations. This project will be carried out in partnership with the Kilkenny City Engineer, Ian Gardiner,
Tubbrid Medieval Church & Graveyard
Tubbrid Medieval Church and Graveyard:
€25,830 has been awarded under Stream 2 of the fund to develop a conservation management plan for this site. The site has a long history of use, it belonged to the Canons Regular of St Augustine, St Johns Abbey in Kilkenny. In addition to the church, the site also contained a 13th century grave slab. The aims of the fund will be achieved by assessing the condition of and recommending conservation works to the monument thereby preventing further deterioration. It will create a digital record of the ruin which can be made more widely accessible. The recommendations when implemented will improve the resilience of the ruin to damage due to increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change. The project will include the dismantling of a monument which is in a very precarious state in the church. If this monument fell it would be destroyed and would also seriously damage one of the walls of the church.
Rathpatrick Medieval Church & Graveyard
Rathpatrick Medieval Church and Graveyard
€25,830 has been awarded under Stream 2 of the fund to prepare a Conservation Management Plan for Rathpatrick church ruins and graveyard. This plan will inform the future conservation, maintenance, management, access and use of the site. The church is considered medieval in origin and is dedicated to St Patrick. There are two tombs dating 1609 and 1690 and there are several monuments carved by the well-known local sculptor Darby O’Brien (late 17th century). The site is associated with a Rath nearby. The aims of the Community Monuments Fund will be achieved by assessing the condition and recommending conservation works to the monument thereby preventing further deterioration. It will create a digital record of the ruin which can be made more widely accessible. The recommendations when implemented will improve the resilience of the ruin to damage due to increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change.
