Longford County Library, Archives, Arts and Heritage Services has launched a small grants scheme to assist with the publication costs of local history books.
A fund of €5,000 is available this year, with grants to a maximum of €1,000 for an individual book.
Terms and conditions are associated with the grant. The vital condition for eligibility is that the book’s contents must relate to Longford, either wholly or in large part.
Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr. Colm Murray, welcomed the initiative: “We in Longford are very fortunate to have local historians and researchers who are willing to write books about our local history and heritage.
“This scheme will help them to meet the costs of publication, helping to enrich our knowledge of the past and preserve our local heritage,” he said.
Chief executive, Paddy Mahon, said the scheme is a wonderful acknowledgement of the importance of local history: “Longford County Council values the work being done in preserving and promoting local history.
“It is essential to record our stories, memories, and milestones. Local books are hugely important in highlighting parts of our history, heritage and culture, and this is a very worthwhile scheme, supporting authors.”
The closing date for funding applications is Monday, July 1.
For application forms and the terms and conditions of the scheme, contact Martin Morris, county archivist or email – [email protected].
A number of books on the history of Longford have been written over the years and the hope is that this initiative will result in more publications.