More than €3,300 in grants awarded to Kildare for Water Heritage Day events

More than €3,300 in grants has been awarded to County Kildare for Water Heritage Day events.

Overall, €30,665.25 in funding has gone to 82 events in 24 counties under the 'Water Heritage Day Grants Scheme 2025'.

And yesterday (August 18 last), the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) awarded €3,303 to a variety of water-related events across the county.

Under the grants scheme, local communities and groups were invited to apply for financial assistance to support the delivery of events and initiatives celebrating Water Heritage Day, which will take place on Sunday, August 24, 2025.

Water Heritage Day celebrates water throughout Ireland, its history and heritage and our connections with it.

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Projects approved for funding in Kildare for this year's celebrations include:

• Ballymore Eustace Community Development — 'Heritage Week Public Awareness Event' (€1,600).
• Monasterevin Blueway Kayaking Club — 'Paddle Through the Past – A Heritage Kayaking Tour' (€225).
• Griese Youth Theatre — 'Griese. What's in a name?' (€264).
• Athy Tidy towns — 'Athy Tidy Towns Magical Moonlight Bat Walk and Talk' (€300).
• Sallins Tidy Towns — 'Water Day Sallins Bike tour along the Grand Canal' (€400).
• Knockirr / Carbury Bog Trust — 'Heritage and Nature Day on Knockirr / Carbury Bog' (€514).

Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan TD, welcomed the monetary allocations.

He said that the 'Water Heritage Day Grants Scheme' "gives communities and groups across Ireland the opportunity to organise events that celebrate and raise awareness about their local waterbodies"".

Minister O'Sullivan further said: "This grants scheme is an investment in the protection and restoration of good water quality nationwide.

"It allows people to create connections with their rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and coastal waters in new and innovative ways."

As part of Heritage Week, there are awards for events held throughout the week. The theme of Heritage Week 2025 is "Exploring Our Foundations".

Anyone who wishes to host a Water Heritage Day event can also submit their event to be considered for a Water Heritage Award. 

More information on these awards can be found here: www.heritageweek.ie/awards

Held in partnership with The Heritage Council, Water Heritage Day takes place as part of National Heritage Week 2025, which runs from August 16, 2025 to August 24, 2025.

Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan TD, with Ellen Murphy, LAWPRO's community water officer for County Cork, at the start of Heritage Week events at the River Bandon on Saturday August 16, 2025. Photograph supplied by Sadhbh O’Neill, communications and engagement lead for the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO)

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