A pioneering and award-winning initiative in county Roscommon that has supported farmers in protecting one of Ireland’s most significant achaelogical landscapes, is set to cease operations on March 31st due to a lack of long-term funding.
The announcement follows a recent meeting of Farming Rathcroghan Project’s Board of Management, at which all potential funding operations were considered.
In a statement, the board confirmed that despite sustained efforts over the past year to secure future financial supports, no viable pathway has yet emerged to allow the project to continue in its current form.
According to the statement, over the past eight years, the Farming Rathcroghan Project has successfully resourced and paid 90 farmers across the mid-Roscommon area through a multi-annual programme.
These farmers have played a central role in the proactive management and maintenance of more than 266 archaeological sites within the internationally recognised Rathcroghan Archaeological Landscape.
Initially delivered through a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) programme from 2019 to 2024, the project was later expanded following a competitive funding award from the EU Just Transition Fund.
That funding will conclude in March 2026, bringing the current phase of the project to an end.
