The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, and the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan TD, have announced awards of over €8 million to 104 heritage projects nationwide under the 2026 Community Monuments Fund (CMF).

The grants will assist owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to protect sites for the future while enhancing public access and presentation.

Established in 2020, the CMF backs conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic places. It funds essential works and repairs, supports resilience measures against extreme weather and climate change, and facilitates improved access and interpretation for the public.

Minister Browne highlighted the role of heritage professionals and local partners in delivering the scheme: "I want to acknowledge the work of the National Monuments Service of my Department for their diligence, dedication and hard work in managing the Community Monuments Fund. I would also like to recognise the Local Authorities and their heritage professionals for their immense work in administering these awards and for their overall crucial role in heritage protection and promotion.

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"The €8 million I'm announcing today under this year's Community Monuments Fund will help 104 heritage projects across the country, supporting custodians and communities and ensuring the protection of our archaeological heritage as a community asset for our collective benefit."

With an overall increase in funding this year, Minister of State O'Sullivan underlined the impact of the scheme: "I'm delighted to be continuing the positive funding trajectory for archaeological heritage with the increase of this year's Community Monuments Fund to just over €8 million, a step up from €7.5m in 2025. The CMF is a hugely impactful grants scheme that supports custodians to protect and restore the towers, graveyards, churches, castles, forts and other monuments that are valued so highly by communities all over the county.

"As Minister for Heritage, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the individuals and community groups who have stepped up to care for their local monuments and volunteered their time, energy and enthusiasm to ensure their conservation. I wish all of the award recipients the best of luck in rolling out their projects and I look forward to seeing the progress for myself in the coming months and years."

The CMF was launched in July 2020 with an initial allocation of €1.4 million. It is administered by the National Monuments Service of the Department through Local Authorities.

There are three funding streams: up to €100,000 (and up to €130,000 for exceptional cases) for essential repairs and capital conservation works; up to €30,000 for Conservation Management Plans or Reports to identify conservation measures and improve access; and up to €30,000 for access and interpretation enhancements, including digital initiatives.

Eligible projects include those proposed by Local Authorities for monuments in public ownership where there is clear heritage and community benefit; applications channelled by Local Authorities from private owners or custodians where there is tangible public benefit; and proposals made directly to the Department by State-funded heritage organisations with a defined heritage focus and public value.

The full list of 2026 awards is available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/community-monuments-fund-list-of-awards-2026/