Funding of almost €1.2bn was announced today for investment in culture, heritage and Irish language over the next decade as part of Project Ireland 2040. Galway will receive €15m to prepare for its role as European Capital of Culture in 2020. Regional arts centres, theatres, museums, galleries, archives and artist studios will benefit from cultural infrastructure funding of €40m. Udarás na Gaeltachta will receive €105m to create 1000 jobs annually to maintain the social & economic fabric of Gaeltacht communities.
€285m will be spent on priority heritage projects including improving amenities at national parks and nature reserves including Ballycroy, Coole Park and Connemara, Glenveagh and Killarney National Parks. Biodiversity, agri-environments and peatland protection will also be included together with built heritage.
Funding of €460m has been earmarked for priority projects including renovations at National Library, National Archives, National Concert Hall and Irish Museum of Modern Art. Works at the National Museum, Abbey Theatre, Crawford Art Gallery and Chester Beatty Library are also included. Media production and audio visual industries will benefit from funding of €200m under the Creative Ireland programme and €10m will be made available for digitising nation collections.