Wicklow County Council is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Community Monuments Fund 2026. The Community Monuments Fund (CMF) is administered by the Heritage Office of Wicklow County Council on behalf of the National Monuments Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage.
The fund aims to enable conservation work to be carried out on monuments deemed significant and in urgent need of support; build resilience in our monuments to will allow them to withstand the effects of climate change; encourage access to monuments and improve their presentation.
Applications are invited from Local Authorities, private owners, custodians and community groups under the following three streams;
- Stream 1 will offer grants of up to €100,000 for essential repairs and capital works to conserve and repair archaeological monuments.
- Stream 2 will offer grants of up to €30,000 for the development of Conservation Management Plans/Reports aimed at identifying measures to conserve archaeological monuments and improve public access.
- Stream 3 will offer grants of up to €30,000 for the enhancement of access infrastructure and interpretation (including virtual/) at archaeological monuments.
Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Melanie Corrigan, welcomed the funding announcement, stating, “The CMF will provide much-needed investment in our valuable archaeological heritage and help the owners and custodians to safeguard them into the future for the benefit of communities and the public”.
Wicklow County Council Chief Executive, Emer O’Gorman, stated, “Wicklow County Council is pleased to coordinate the Community Monuments Fund. The impact of climate change on our monuments is increasingly evident, and this fund will support essential repairs and build resilience in our monuments to enable them to withstand the effects of a changing environment in County Wicklow.”
Total funding available nationally for projects under the Community Monuments Fund 2026 is €7,500,000.
The closing date for applications is Friday, January 30th 2026, at 4 pm. Application forms and further details are available at wicklow.ie/Living/News-Events/community-monuments-fund-cmf-2026-now-open-for-applications. Applicants should read the CMF guidance carefully and make sure that method statements and all relevant consents are included with the application.