Industrial heritage news for 2026
The Historic Structures Fund awards for 2026 have been announced. The only property of IH significance in receipt of grant funding in 2026 is the National Sculpture Factory in Cork, which is located in the former Cork City Tramway powerhouse and depot.
RTE reports that Galway City Council has secured funding from the EU to undertake the installation of three small hyrdo electric turbines along the underused waterways of the city.
It is an interesting initiative, especially in light of legislation requiring historic mill owners to pay for water abstraction for water removed from a watercourse to pass through their mill, notwithstanding that the water is returned to the watercourse in full a short distance later.
In addition, the wholesale destruction of mill dams will be undertaken in due course on foot of State instructions to prioritise fish.
With Storm Chandra having passed over and caused extensive flooding, the clean up operation is underway and RTE have a news article with an excellent photograph, taken from the Island Road overbridge in Enniscorthy, showing an Irish Rail crew at work removing debris from the railway bridge over the River Slaney with a road rail excavator.
I reported previously on the damage caused to Elphin Windmill caused during Storm Eowyn in early 2025.
I am happy to report that funding to the tune of EUR35,000 has been awarded under the Heritage Investment Scheme to the group behind the scheme at Elphin towards its restoration.