The Old Church at Malin Well has been revealed as one of the newest sites to join the ‘Adopt a Monument Scheme’ by the Heritage Council.
The medieval church ruin is located by the sea at Malin Head, the northernmost tip of Donegal. The sacred site has been linked with early Christianity in Inishowen and has long been a place of pilgrimage.
This year, the Old Church will benefit from specialist expertise and mentoring under the Adopt a Monument Scheme.
The scheme will assist the Malin Well Conservation Group, who are hoping to further research the story of the site and work with professionals to carry out conservation work to ensure the protection of the site.
The Adopt a Monument Scheme offers expertise, mentoring and support to communities to help them care for their local heritage. Seven sites in Ireland were chosen from an open public competition this year.
The seven sites chosen include:
- Esker Church, Lucan, Co. Dublin
- Moygara Castle, Co Sligo
- Kilkerrin Battery Fort, Co. Clare
- The Graves of the Leinstermen, Co. Tipperary
- Malin Well Old Church, Co. Donegal
- Moated Site, Ballyogan, Co. Kilkenny
- Kilmurry Lime Kiln, Co. Clare
Speaking about the sites chosen, Virginia Teehan, CEO of the Heritage Council said, “While it was originally planned to have just four new sites join the Scheme, we received over 50 applications from energized community groups across Ireland. The enthusiasm of the seven groups shortlisted made it impossible to choose between them. Each of the sites are unique and represent important aspects of Ireland’s heritage. We are really looking forward to working with the communities to uncover the stories of their sites”, added Ms Teehan
Featured image credit: Abarta Heritage
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