18 BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 32nd ANNUAL EDITION experts from the heritage, conservation, architecture and other sectors. Treasure Ireland has always been about giving churches the practical means to survive and thrive together. From the outset, the project aimed to combine conservation support, maintenance advice, small grants, training and tourism development into a single package. The project provides a programme of support, grants and conservation training designed to help congregations look after their buildings for the long term. Small but vital grants have enabled urgent roof and masonry repairs, safeguarding fragile structures against weather damage; maintenance grants have encouraged regular care rather than crisis fixes; and mentoring has given volunteers the confidence to commission work from conservation professionals. Through workshops and stipulations attached to grants, the project has promoted good conservation practice by showing communities how to plan for repairs, use appropriate materials and think sustainably. Its early successes, from supporting urgent repairs to creating new church trails, led to a grant increase from the Heritage Fund ensuring Treasure Ireland will continue until April 2026 and we are currently planning what will follow on after. A total of 55 Treasure Ireland grants worth almost £400,000 were awarded to support repair and maintenance work across buildings belonging to seven different denominations. Over 1,200 participants attended training sessions aimed at enhancing their understanding of building maintenance and church heritage. In just a few years, Treasure Ireland has moved from a pilot to a trusted presence, helping hundreds of churches and chapels to find their place both in local communities and on the wider tourism map. OPENING NORTHERN IRELAND’S SACRED PLACES TO VISITORS Northern Ireland’s churches and chapels are more than places of worship: they are treasure houses of art, architecture and social heritage. Former support officer for the project, Nina McNeary, has shown great ambition for our tourism work in Northern Ireland, investing time in collaborative and imaginative themes and trails that invite both local people and visitors to explore buildings they might never have thought they could visit and return to. Over the last few years, the project has become a quietly transformative force, building connections between congregations and communities using tourism and heritage as common threads and turning isolated gems into wonderful visitor experiences. Treasure Ireland’s approach is about enabling churches to take their first steps into tourism, with guidance rather than pressure. WHY CHURCHES MATTER TO TOURISM Across Northern Ireland there are nearly a thousand listed places of worship, including many of national importance – buildings that capture centuries of craftsmanship, memorials and community memory. These churches are often located in landscape and townscapes popular with visitors, yet many remain invisible because they don’t have the resources to engage or present themselves as St Macartan’s (The Forth) Chapel is home to four amazing Clarke Studio stained-glass windows and is spectacularly set in the heart of the lovely Clogher Valley. It was also named the National Churches Trust Church of the Year in 2022 for its incredible work to welcome visitors and care for its volunteers, community and the building. (All three photos: NinaMcNeary)
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