Funding sought for new Gathering Heritage Animated Series

The people behind last year’s Gathering History Project have launched a new Gathering Heritage Animated Series, which captures the colourful and meaningful stories from a bygone Ireland on film.

It is the aim of those involved to capture and convey the life stories of people who have lived interesting lives through an animated series.

A one minute teaser has been made, which can be viewed above, but it is their long term goal to create a five minute episode to a professional level ready for both TV and the web.

The one minute animatic is a showcase of part of a life story from Eileen White, who moved to the UK in her teens and spent most of her life away from Dundalk. In the clip she talks to Harry Lee and recounts her early days in Dundalk.

A campaign has been launched to raise €11,500 to create a full five minute professional episode. You can help fund the campaign here if you’d like to bring this series to life.

According to the organisers: “We need to fund the animation process which takes a lot of time and loving care. This kind of love costs money but it’s worth it. We also need to pay to record the interviews, edit the recordings and capture the heritage digitally, but the end product is scalable, sellable and enduring, capturing Irish memories of old and giving it a permanent place in our future.”

Anyone who would like to help out can contact Jason McGee on 086 3844472 or email info@gatheringhistory.com

Further information is also available on www.gatheringhistory.com or via the Indie Go Go fund page.

 

Fitzpatrick welcomes funding for repair and conservation of 21 local buildings

Peter Fitzpatrick TD

Local TD Peter Fitzpatrick has welcomed the news that €162,000 in funding is to be granted for the repair and conservation of 21 buildings and structures in Louth under the Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme (BHJLS) 2014.

The scheme, which is funded from the National Lottery License transaction, will oversee the construction and repair of 618 historic structures around the country. The public funds provided will be matched by private funding and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht estimate that the €5 million BHJLS will unlock €16 million in private funding for these projects.

Commenting on the funding, Deputy Fitzpatrick said: “I am delighted that 21 Louth buildings and structures are to benefit from grant aid this year under the Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme.

“The scheme, which is operated by The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has allocated €162,000 to Louth for 2014.

“The purpose of this fund is to ensure that works take place to safeguard structures protected under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2011. This can include structures within Architectural Conservation Areas.

“It is crucially important that we protect and conserve our heritage buildings. This measure has a doubly positive impact in that it will also create jobs in the local economy. Indeed when the scheme was first launched, one of its stated aims was to support the employment of skilled and experienced conservation professionals, craft workers and tradespeople.

“The properties listed for funding will be formally contacted by Louth County Council in the near future to discuss the process for acquiring this funding.”