€159,000 invested in heritage buildings around the county
WEXFORD County Council paid out €44,803.20 in grant aid to three ‘at risk’ structures from its Structures at Risk (SAR) fund throughout last year on top of grant aid totalling €49,838.25 to seven other projects under the Built Heritage Investment (BHI) scheme.
The grants, along with matching investment from the owners of the buildings in the BHI scheme, meant €159,0005.91 was invested in historically significant structures throughout the county in 2018.
St Iberius Church in Wexford town received a grant of €14,803.20 for the removal, repair and reinstatement of windows, including caulking of the windows with lime mortar, with the total expenditure on the work amounting to €18,504.
The second structures to receive grant aid were the Saunderscourt gatelodges, which were given €15,000 towards overall total expenditure of €20,960.
The money was used to repair the suspended floors in both pavillions at the site which, according to a report from the CEO of Wexford County Council, Tom Enright, ‘were not safe underfoot’.
Ivy was also removed from the structure as it had been interfering with areas of masonry.
Mr Enright’s report said galvanised steel brackets will be used in the wall sockets of the building while historic joinery was removed and stored for conservation.
The third building to receive grant aid under the Structures at Risk fund was Ballysampson House in Tagoat, which was given a grant of €15,000 that was put towards ongoing work to prevent decay of the house.
According to Mr Enright’s report ‘ the scud coat lime plaster of the earth walling had to be completed’ to ensure it didn’t deteriorate any further. The overall cost of the work was €18,196.
Meanwhile under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2018, €114,202.71 - including the local authority funding of €49,838.25 - was spent on seven projects throughout the county. The remainder of the money, €63,749.57, was provided by matched funding from the properties’ owners.
The grants allocated to the seven buildings included: the Fiary Church, Wexford (€9,500); Porter’s Lodge, Castleboro House (€9,000); 9 Castle Street, Enniscorthy (€4,500); Hyde Park, Inch, Gorey (€5,500); Rosegarland House, Wellingtonbridge (€6,000); Cornmill, Foulksmills (€9,500) and Robinstown House, Clonroche (€5,838).
Work on the Friary church included repairing the decorative paint feature on the ceiling beneath the organ gallery floor to prevent the ceiling – which was replaced – from collapsing.
Repairs to the roof at Porter’s Lodge were carried out in accordance with the original design in addition to the reinstatement of collapsed granite parapet coin stones.
Repairs were carried out to the roof of 9 Castle Street, Enniscorthy, while the work at Hyde Park, in Inch, involved ‘essential restoration’ of a French window in addition to internal repairs.
The funding was used to carry out repair work and conservation of a double-door and two large double casements at the back entrance of Rosegarland House and at Robinstown House work was carried out to repair the back stairs, main staircase, window shutters and lining to a rear window on the landing of the main staircase as well as other internal wall repairs.
Essential works to the water wheel at the Cornmill in Foulksmills were also carried out.