Main pic: A traditional thatched cottage in Ballindrait, Lifford.
The government has approved almost €80,000 in thatching grants for some of Donegal’s most iconic and historic properties.
Deputy Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher said he has been informed of the move by Minister of State for Heritage, Christopher O’Sullivan TD.
The BHIS Historic Thatched Buildings Stream 2025 aims to protect the heritage value of historic thatched roof buildings across Ireland. County Donegal has received one of the largest funding awards in the country, €79,368, due to its number of surviving historic thatched structures.
Donegal is reputed to have the largest concentration of such houses in Ireland, with Inishowen having the highest number of traditional thatch cottages within the county.
“The traditional thatched cottage is an icon of the Irish countryside, every effort must be made to maintain and support their upkeep,” Deputy Gallagher said.
“Today’s announcements are only a single step in that journey, as maintenance is expensive for traditional buildings.”
Ten grant allocations have been made to help the owners with the renewal of their thatched roofs from all across the county. Donegal County Council has continued to highlight the strong need to the department for the thatching grant, Deputy Gallagher said.
The successful applicants are:
Rose Cottage, Lagg Malin €14,000
Mannies Bar, Convoy €6,000
The thatched House,Anny Near & Far ,Glenvar €6,000
Glencolmcille Folk Village €6,000
Duffy,Leenan,Clonmany €10,000
Keadue Cottage,Ballykinard,Rossnakill €8,000
Ardoe Cottage Portsalon €8,000
Breslins,Shalvey,Kilcar €7,000
Bridge Cottage, Dunkineely €5,000
Brownes Cottage,Greencastle €9,368
The Donegal Thatch Repair Grant Scheme will be opening for new applications in the next few weeks.
“Hopefully, this will help owners with minor repairs to hold their roofs until they apply for assistance for a full rethatch when applications reopen later in the year,” Deputy Gallagher added.
“The Department now runs this vital BHIS Historic Thatched Buildings Stream on an annual basis which will undoubtedly help our thatched owners maintain these iconic structures in the landscape which bring so much joy to locals and tourists alike.”
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