Ennistymon grateful for heritage gate funding

A PROJECT aimed at ensuring the survival of a part of Ennistymon’s heritage has been granted funding.
Ennistymon Tidy Towns plan to carry out a survey of the area’s remaining hand-forged gates with the aim of identifying which of these historic items can eventually be restored.
Grant funding for the survey has been awarded to the local group under the recently announced Community Heritage Grant scheme 2021.
Brendan P Lynch, chairperson Ennistymon Tidy Towns told The Champion, “This is a great recognition of the group’s involvement in the heritage of the area and in turn will form part of our heritage entry into the national Tidy Towns competition.
The Ennistymon Vernacular Gates Survey will, he said, look at all remaining hand-forged gates in the town of Ennistymon and surrounding hinterland and record these to the standard of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH).
“This survey will then be used to identify a select number of gates to be conserved and restored. This will ensure their survival for another century or two and increase awareness of this unique heritage feature.”
In the early part of the 20th century Ennistymon had eight working forges, he outlined.
“We look forward to the surveys results and hopefully will hold an exhibition on these gates during National heritage week 2021 which runs from August 14 until August 22.”