Owners and custodians of historic and protected structures in County Cork have been encouraged to apply for funding under the recently announced 2026 Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Thatched Buildings Stream (HTB).

These grant schemes assist with the repair and preservation of those named structures, with applicants eligible to receive grants of up to €50,000 for supportive works. Protected structures, proposed protected structures and properties located within Architectural Conservation areas are eligible to apply.

The scheme also offers funding of up to €30,000 for vernacular structures, i.e. 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 roof 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.

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Encouraging applicants, The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, said: "Safeguarding our heritage buildings is 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. These schemes protect cherished historic structures, so they can be enjoyed for generations to come."

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell, added: "County Cork is home to nearly 3,000 protected structures and 52 Architectural Conservation Areas. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme has benefited the County’s heritage significantly in the last number of years. In 2025, 24 historic properties in the county of Cork have benefited from an investment of over €480,000 under these schemes."

The deadline for submission of completed applications is 4pm on Friday, September 26. Applications can be made by emailing [email protected] or a hard copy may be addressed to 'Built Heritage Investment Scheme' or 'Historic Thatched Buildings', Cork County Council, Heritage and Conservation Office, Floor 3, Planning Department, County Hall, Cork. 

For further information and application forms, click here.