A delegation from The Heritage Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage visited the Historic Towns Initiatives in Ramelton and Ballyshannon recently.
The visit came as conservation works began on five historic buildings in The Diamond, Ballyshannon and as it was announced that the Ramelton Historic Towns Initiative was shortlisted for the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Award in the Heritage & Built Environment category.
“The Historic Towns Initiative National Steering Group members were here to see the progress made under our initiatives in Ballyshannon and Ramelton” explained Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer. “Over the past four years, we have undertaken Historic Towns Initiatives in Letterkenny, Ramelton and Ballyshannon. The work saw an investment of over €1 million by The Heritage Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage and €275,000 by Donegal County Council as well as 30% match funding by local property owners.
“The initiatives have seen conservation works to seven historic buildings on Church Lane in Letterkenny in 2019, 14 historic buildings in Ramelton in 2020, 12 historic buildings in Ballyshannon in 2021 and a further five historic buildings in Ballyshannon this year.”
The Historic Towns Initiatives represents a cross‐directorate partnership between the County Donegal Heritage Office in the Housing, Corporate & Culture Directorate and the Conservation Office in the Community Development & Planning Services Directorate of Donegal County Council.
Pictured outside the recently-restored façade of the early nineteenth-century Condon House on The Mall in Ballyshannon are (from left to right): Joseph Gallagher (Donegal County Council), Cllr. Barry Sweeny & Terry McIntyre (Ballyshannon Regeneration Group), Collette Beattie (Donegal County Council), Ian Doyle (The Heritage Council), Duncan McLaren (Dedalus Architecture), Joanne McMenamin (Donegal County Council), Jacqui Donnelly (Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage) & Daniel Sinnott (Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage).
Photo: Karen Skelly
Designer Laura Buchanan presents members of the Historic Towns Initiative National Steering Group with copies of Ramelton’s Walking Treasure Trail during their visit to Ramelton. Pictured in her workshop on Castle Street are (from left to right): Laura Buchanan (Laura Buchanan Designs), Joanne McMenamin (Administrative Officer, Donegal County Council), Ian Doyle (Head of Conservation, The Heritage Council), Cllr. Ian McGarvey & Jacqui Donnelly (Senior Architect, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage).
Photo: Joseph Gallagher
The Historic Towns Initiative delegation included Ian Doyle (Head of Conservation, The Heritage Council), Jacqui Donnelly (Senior Architect, Built Heritage Policy, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage) and Daniel Sinnott (Principal Officer, Built Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage). During their visit, they met with representatives from the Ramelton Georgian Society, the Ballyshannon Regeneration Group, Dedalus Architecture, Donegal County Council and local property owners.
This year, The Heritage Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage are investing €320,000 and Donegal County Council is investing €100,000 in the conservation of five historic buildings in The Diamond, Ballyshannon.
Ian Doyle (Head of Conservation, The Heritage Council), Collette Beattie (Conservation Officer, Donegal County Council) & Jacqui Donnelly (Senior Architect, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage) discuss the on-going conservation of Condon House, a Protected Structure, on The Mall in Ballyshannon. The Condon House was one of twelve historic buildings to benefit under the Ballyshannon Historic Towns Initiative in 2021.
Photo: Joseph Gallagher
Pictured outside the recently-restored façade of the Stewart Arms Hotel in Ramelton are (from left to right): Joanne McMenamin (Administrative Officer, Donegal County Council), Cllr. Ian McGarvey, Joe Birney (Ramelton Georgian Society), Jacqui Donnelly (Senior Architect, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage), Ian Doyle (Head of Conservation, The Heritage Council), Patsy Lafferty (Director of Housing, Corporate & Culture, Donegal County Council), Duncan McLaren (Principal Architect, Dedalus Architecture) & Joseph Gallagher (Heritage Officer, Donegal County Council). The Ramelton Historic Towns Initiative has been shortlisted for a Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Award.
Photo: Clive Wasson
Every local authority can submit one application to the Historic Towns Initiative each year for a historic town with an indicative population of more than 1,500 inhabitants. The proposed works must be based on a heritage-led or conservation plan-led approach and demonstrate strong community engagement.
If you think that your town meets or is working towards meeting the criteria for the Historic Towns Initiative, please contact the County Donegal Heritage Office on (074) 917 2576 or by e-mail at heritage@donegalcoco.ie
Pictured outside the recently-restored façade and shopfront of the former McFadden’s Shop on Castle Street, Ramelton are (from left to right): Cllr. Ian McGarvey, Joe Birney (Ramelton Georgian Society), Joanne McMenamin (Administrative Officer, Donegal County Council), Duncan McLaren (Principal Architect, Dedalus Architecture), Jacqui Donnelly (Senior Architect, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage), Joseph Gallagher (Heritage Officer, Donegal County Council) & Ian Doyle (Head of Conservation, The Heritage Council).
Photo: Clive Wasson
