Marcus and Irene Sweeney of Fancroft Mill and Garden with their award.

Heritage Award for Fancroft Mill

Published: Thu 2 Jan 2020, 2:39 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Jan 2020, 2:40 PM

Fancroft Mill and Gardens in Roscrea has won the Norman Campion Award Best Museum/Industrial Heritage Site at the prestigious Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland (IHAI) Awards 2019.
The award recognises the professional and sympathetic restoration work of this significant historical site from dereliction, located on the Little Brosna river 4km north of Roscrea, that was first started by Marcus and Irene Sweeney in 2006. The award is named in honour of Offaly native and miller Norman Campion, a founding member of the IHAI, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Other awards went to a team in Limerick, led by Gary MacMahon, for rebuilding the The Ilen, a 1920s 50ft timber - and Baltimore - built ketch, which was deployed around the Falklands in the South Atlantic for 70 years. Much of the reconstruction of what is the last of Ireland’s traditional wooden built ships has been by volunteers in Limerick and Baltimore, with the help of professional boat builders.
Another maritime-flavoured project also received an award. Kieran McCarthy, author of The Little Book of Cork Harbour, won the Mary Mulvihill Media Award of Best Publication.
Rounding off the award winners on the evening, fittingly hosted at ESB’s new archive building in Finglas is Brendan Delany, ESB Archives & Heritage Manager, for a life-long and central role in development of ESB’s archive into a digital, interactive resource for all to cherish.
Nicholas Tarrant, ESB Executive Director Engineering and Major Projects, hosted the evening. Welcoming guests and congratulating the award winners, he said: “The Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland was created by people of vision and commitment and the fruits of earlier efforts have served to create a notable increase in awareness of our rich industrial past. The association recognises that we should not only have a sense of shared ownership for our past but it is something we strive to safeguard and celebrate. It is also ESB’s pleasure to host the awards in our new archive.
A landmark development for ESB, it represents a tangible delivery to both celebrate and safeguard our history and heritage which forms part of the story of the industrial, commercial and social development of Ireland.”
Paul McMahon President of IHAI added: “IHAI are delighted with the continued and invaluable sponsorship of these awards from ESB.”