Investment of Over €480,000 for County Cork Architectural Heritage

A church

Funding of over €480,000 has been awarded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support the repair and restoration of 22 historic buildings in Cork County, under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the BHIS Historical Thatched Buildings (HTB). Both schemes are run in collaboration with the country’s 31 Local Authorities.

Welcoming the allocations, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Joe Carroll said, “

County Cork boasts an extensive array of built heritage, with almost 3,000 protected structures and 52 Architectural Conservation Areas. The funding allocated this year under the BHIS has increased nearly three-fold from 2024, highlighting the growing benefit of this scheme in our county. This allocation is a very welcome investment to support essential heritage conservation efforts at 22 unique properties. I wish all applicants success with their projects.

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) has played a significant role in the protection of built heritage sites in Cork since its inception in 2016.  Funding has been provided for a variety of essential works such as the repair of doors and windows, including fine stained-glass windows, as well as repointing and repairing carved stone and much more. 

Under the 2025 BHIS scheme, 18 Cork County projects set to undertake conservation works will benefit from funding to the sum of €441,274. A wide range of buildings including schools, churches and cathedrals, Georgian and Victorian shops and townhouses, as well as late medieval country houses will receive support to help conserve and enhance our historic buildings and streetscapes.

The BHIS Historical Thatched Buildings grant will provide funding for thatch repairs in sites across the county. Thatched houses are a significant part of our national identity and this scheme supports their owners in caretaking these wonderful sites, so that they continue to be part of our lived environments for generations to come. This year, 4 projects located in Mallow, Garrynagoul, Youghal and Mitchelstown will benefit from funding to the sum of €42,753.