Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Finglas has a long history that needs to be told and displayed for all to see. At the heart of Finglas village are the ruins of the old St. Canice's church, with its ancient graveyard beside Barrack Lane. Despite being at the heart of a busy modern suburban town, framed by housing estates and a dual carriageway leading to the M50, the old church and its grounds and graveyards are full of trees, greenery and birdsong and a haven for wild animals. The old church offers visitors a surprisingly quiet and tranquil place of repose.

Entering the grounds of the old church is like stepping back in time. Around and within the ruins of the church are various types of ancient burial places, including a burial vault and table and box tombs. The old graves are marked by a variety of grave markers, including headstones, iron crosses and obelisks, many of which are too weathered to be read.

The old church was, according to tradition, built on the site of St. Canice's monastery, which itself was built in the 10th and 11th centuries. Records show that the church was used in 1657 but it is clear from other records that it was established much earlier than this. There is ample evidence of a Viking site having been established nearby. In fact, the remains of an adult Viking female were discovered in 2004, along with Viking artefacts that are now on display in the National Museum of Ireland. Located just outside the walls of the graveyard are a number of ancient wells that were buried during the construction of apartments nearby.

Some noted celebrities are buried in the graveyard of the church, including Eliza Wollstonecraft whose niece, Mary Shelley, wrote Frankensteinas well as the graves of bishops and archbishops. A grave of particular interest inside the church mentions Captain Edward Spencer, whose family is buried there and who was related to the Spencers of Althorp through his second wife and thus, is related to Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales.

In addition, the grounds of the church contain the Nethercross from where the barony in which Finglas parish is located gets its name. According to legend, this cross was buried by the parishioners as Cromwellian forces approached the village. The cross remained buried until it was rediscovered by the Reverend Robert Walsh in the early 19th century. It is believed to be approximately 1,000 years old and is the only high cross in Dublin. Unfortunately, the Nethercross is now quite weathered, which makes it difficult to see the intricate carvings that once adorned it. The people of Finglas want the cross preserved and protected in its present location in the graveyard.

A major study of the old church and its grounds was carried out by 7L Architects on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Dublin City Council, DCC. A comprehensive report was issued last April which outlined a conservation management plan for the church and grounds. To conserve these magnificent ruins properly, the church needs to be roofed and have its walls completed and the church needs to be returned to public. A museum to house the history of Finglas and its environs would be a fitting way to preserve our local and national history for future generations.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I will respond on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, who could not be here to address the issue.

The National Monuments Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage administers the community monuments fund, CMF, through the local authorities. It was established in 2020 under the July jobs stimulus package and had an initial fund of just over €1 million. I am delighted that the grants awarded under this scheme totalled €6 million for 2022, including a grant to St Canice’s, which indicates the success of the fund over the past few years. The community monuments fund invests essential capital in our valuable archaeological heritage and helps owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future for the benefit of communities and the public.

Part of this funding is prioritised for local authorities, private owners and custodians and community groups for the care, conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of archaeological monuments and the provision of any required measures to ensure safe access over the past few years of the Covid pandemic.

The impacts of climate change on our monuments is increasingly evident. With increased weathering and severe climate events, the repair cycle on built heritage is likely to become shorter. Increased maintenance and repair will be key to building resilience in our monuments, to enable them to withstand the effects of a changing environment. The CMF plays a key role in mitigating the effects of climate-related events at our national monuments.

The core aims of this fund are the conservation, maintenance, protection and presentation of archaeological monuments. It enables conservation works to be carried out on monuments which are deemed to be significant and in need of urgent support. It also builds resilience in our monuments to enable them to withstand the effects of climate change and it encourages access to monuments and improves their presentation. In addition, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage encourages projects to incorporate a traditional skills training element.

The community monuments fund has three streams. Stream 1 offers grants aimed at essential repairs and capital works for the conservation and repair of archaeological monuments. Stream 2 offers grants for development of conservation management plans and reports and detailed specification of works that are aimed at identifying measures for conservation of archaeological monuments and improving public access. Stream 3 offers grants for enhancement of access infrastructure and interpretation, including virtually and online, at our archaeological monuments. St. Canice’s graveyard is a national monument in the ownership of the local authority. I am pleased to confirm that it was awarded a grant of just under €30,000 in 2021 and a further award of €85,000 in 2022. It is important that be recognised. I have no doubt an application for further funding will be made in the year ahead.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I know that the graveyard has received funding but the funding is running out and the works are nowhere near satisfactory at present. I appeal to the Minister of State and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to talk to DCC about the need for further funding. A substantial amount is needed for this property. If it were not for local people who look after this, such as the Lynch family who have done decades of magnificent work on the graveyard, Finglas tidy towns, volunteers and the Finglas historical society, the graveyard would be far worse off.

I would love for someone to look at this graveyard. The church is a magnificent building that needs to be preserved and in working order for the people. It would work as a museum and would be an ideal place to anchor a museum for the history of the area, not just for the people of Finglas, but for those around. We saw what happened with the Nethercross, which was a very big, symbolic cross at the time Cromwell was coming through Finglas. Residents buried the cross to hide it from him, which shows how important the Nethercross and this building are. The graveyard is steeped in history. One can see it and feel it.

Finglas deserves better. It deserves respect and the church and graveyard deserve to be brought back to life in a meaningful way.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I have no doubt that Finglas should get the respect it deserves. I am glad that the Deputy recognises that funding has been secured. I did not realise that earlier. Some €115,000 was allocated over the past two years to recognise the importance of the monument on which I have no doubt the Deputy wants to build.

The CMF helps to progress heritage projects throughout the country to ensure that heritage is protected as a community asset and made more accessible to complement the work happening in the community. Locals such as the Lynch family are making that happen. It is fitting that the fund is there to support such work. The measure also allows steps to be taken under the climate change action plan with regard to our archaeological heritage and creates employment for many small businesses, skilled conservation specialists and tradespeople involved in heritage-related construction activity.

Significant funding to the tune of €115,000 has been awarded under the CMF for works at St. Canice’s graveyard over the past couple of years. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, hopes to announce details of the scheme for 2023 in the coming weeks and departmental officials would be happy to accept an application for funding of further works at St Canice’s. It is important that the application process be tracked.

I express my sincere thanks to the local authority staff, the local community and those in the National Monuments Service, all of whom work diligently to ensure the success of this fund. I encourage all custodians of national monuments to consider putting together applications for the fund for 2023. The Deputy may talk to the committee to make sure it gets ready for the application process that will open in the near future.