Carlow Town to receive €40k as part of multi-million euro historic towns plan

Forty thousand euro has been awarded to Carlow Town as part of €1.75m in funding for heritage-led regeneration of town centres across Ireland. 

The Historic Towns Initiative - a joint effort from the Heritage Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage - will have an emphasis on residential and business re-use of historic properties. 

Towns in Wexford, Louth and Sligo have also received funding, with Callan in Co Kilkenny being allocated €10,000. 

TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, Malcolm Noonan, announced the news today (Wednesday March 2) and said, "As set out in the Heritage Ireland 2030 national heritage plan, we wish to put built, cultural, and natural heritage at the front of both Government policy and the recovery of the country. I look forward to working with the Heritage Hub on this." 

Conservation projects in Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Cork, Tipperary, Kildare, Monaghan and Wexford will benefit most from the funding, with Tipperary Town receiving €163,000 to renovate the Glove Factory building into four apartments and a commercial space.

The building has reportedly been vacant for almost 50 years. 

A quarter of a million euro has also been allocated to a heritage building in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, which will be turned into a food and community hub.