Local heritage groups and history projects could soon benefit from a £16 million grant from the Peace and Reconciliation Fund. The money is to go to promoting business and culture in Northern Ireland and the six southern border counties. It is estimated that at least one third of the monies will go towards cross-border cultural ventures and this would probably work out at £1 million a year. The money is to be administered by Co-operation North and is to be targeted at community-based groups, particularly those in disadvantaged areas. Co-operation North intend for as many groups as possible to benefit from the fund so the emphasis will be on smaller grants. Co-operation North, which since 1979 has been promoting joint activities on across-border and cross-community basis, has already been involved in the funding of initiatives for local history and heritage groups. Sligo Living History Society and Inniskillin Living History Society from Coleraine staged a re-enactment of the Battle of the Boyne last year while both the Dublin Heritage Group and the Galway Family History Project were involved in separate projects with the Ulster American Folk Park. In April the Mayo North Family History Research will be hosting their annual John O’Hare Weekend and discussing the Ulster migration to Mayo and the Mayo migration to Meath. Ballyclare and District Historical Society has already been involved with historical exchanges with the North Mayo Family History Research Centre as well as Rathfeigh Historical Society from County Meath.
However as Sean McGearty from Co-operation North stressed, many groups in the past have been turned down for funding because there are certain criteria for the exchange funding. Long-term ventures tend to be preferred since there is not enough resources to fund every cross border day tripper. The criteria would generally call for the proposals to be of a cross border, cross community nature, to be based on a theme, to be reciprocal, to have potential for long term development, and if possible to address key issues such as the Battle of the Boyne. The criteria for funding under the Peace and Reconciliation Fund has yet to be decided but Co-operation North hope to see these in place in a matter of weeks.
Funding is available from Co-operation North for Heritage groups and Historical societies who wish to have exchanges on a cross-border and cross-community basis. Societies are encouraged to approach their own contacts and establish their own links with a compatible group but in the absence of this Co-operation North will assist in finding a suitable exchange partner.
Enquiries: (Dublin) 37 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, tel: (01)6610588; (Belfast), 7 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1JG, tel: (01232)321462.