Over €440,000 worth of funding has been earmarked to the protection of archaeological sites across the Shannonside region. It comes as part of Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan's Community Monuments Fund for 2024. The Minister announced that a total of €447,375 has been allotted to the conservation of specific archaeological sites across the region. Ten local sites are to benefit from this new funding. County Roscommon has received the highest sum in the region, at €260,000.
This money will go towards the conservation of four historical sites, Closhanville Abbey and Ballintubber Castle, which were granted €100,000 respectively, as well as Kilronan Church and Kiltullagh Church, both receiving funding of €30,000 each. In Longford, four archaeological projects, Clondra, Abbeyshrule Abbey, Saints Island, and Abbeylara Cistercian Abbey, will be covered by a total funding of €133,103 for the county. Leitrim is to expect the least amount of funding in the region, at €50,000. This money will go towards the maintenance of Stillogue's Abbey and Jamestown Wall. The funding is just a fraction of the €7.8 million that has been earmarked to 140 archaeological projects nationwide.
