On World Heritage Day, Ministers announce allocation of €365,000 Strategic Investment Fund 2026

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, and Minister of State with Responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan TD, have marked World Heritage Day today (Saturday 18th April) by announcing a significant capital investment to support UNESCO World Heritage ambition across the country.

The World Heritage Strategic Investment Fund was established in 2025 to help safeguard Ireland's world heritage. As a result, all four sites on the World Heritage Tentative List for Ireland will benefit from €365,000 in funding this year, supporting 11 different projects in counties Kerry, Kildare, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath.

The awards granted this year to sites on Ireland's Tentative World Heritage List under the Fund include:

• €240,000 for the Historic Astronomical Observatories of Ireland for repairs to the Leviathan Telescope at Birr Castle and Demesne, Co. Offaly and conservation works to Dunsink Observatory House.
• €58,000 for the Royal Sites of Ireland for a geophysical survey at Rathcroghan, Co Roscommon and interpretation at the Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath and Kilcullen, Co. Kildare.
• €42,000 for the Transatlantic Cable Ensemble towards stabilisation works to the First Message Building in Knightstown, Co. Kerry; and,
• €25,000 for the Passage Tomb Landscape of Sligo for interpretation work.

Minister Browne welcomed the announcement, saying:

"I am delighted to announce these awards under the 2026 Pilot World Heritage Strategic Investment Fund. This investment reflects the Programme for Government commitment to support additional UNESCO sites to showcase Ireland's heritage internationally. These awards are an investment in remarkable cultural heritage sites that will help ensure they are protected for future generations. I wish all of the award recipients the best of luck in commencing their projects."

Minister O'Sullivan added:

"This critical funding will help protect and conserve Ireland's Tentative List sites as they progress through the World Heritage nomination process, ensuring their potential Outstanding Universal Value is recognised and safeguarded.

"By investing in conservation, research and presentation, and supporting the communities and custodians of these sites, we not only help maintain these extraordinary sites but we strengthen their role as places that connect people to our shared past, present and future and which will help them withstand the effects of climate change."

The World Heritage Strategic Investment Fund is coordinated by the National Monuments Service. The Fund supports a range of initiatives to conserve, maintain, protect, improve understanding and promote archaeological and built heritage within World Heritage Properties and Tentative List Sites in Ireland.

The objective of the Fund is to assist owners and custodians of sites within World Heritage Properties and Tentative List Sites protect and conserve them for present and future generations. The Fund is also investing in improving interpretation, presentation and accessibility for local communities and the wider public.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The World Heritage Strategic Investment Fund has two streams:

Stream A: grants of up to €30,000 to improve understanding, interpretation and presentation of sites including access infrastructure (including virtually and/or online).

Stream B: grants of up to €100,000 for the protection and conservation of sites including essential repairs and works such as structural stability, weather tightness, resilience to climate change, protection against erosion or damage by livestock, treatment of young saplings or invasive problematic plants and other appropriate repairs. Funding for appropriate conservation advice or for the preparation of a Conservation Management Plan and detailed specifications of works or an Archaeological Impact Assessments are also eligible.

To be eligible sites must meet one or more of the following qualifying conditions:

• are included within the proposed boundaries of a site on the Tentative List as potential attributes of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV);*
• are included within the boundaries of an Irish World Heritage Property as attributes of OUV.
• are included within a proposed or actual buffer zone around a World Heritage Property or Tentative List Site and are considered as protecting or contributing to the OUV.

In addition, sites will have to meet one or more of the following conditions:

• are included in the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) under the National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended);
• are identified in the Sites and Monuments Record;
• are included in the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) of each Local Authority;
• are eligible for or proposed for inclusion in the RPS but not yet formally approved for inclusion; or,
• are within Architectural Conservation Areas.

*OUV or Outstanding Universal Value means the natural or cultural significance of a site that is so exceptional that it deserves to be recognized as part of the humanity's common heritage.