In Tyrone, a project to restore an important local village clock is one of those set to benefit.

The plans to restore the King Edward VII village clock in Fivemiletown have been awarded a grant of £18,400. The distinctive local landmark has been a feature of Main Street for 90 years. It was erected in 1903 to mark the coronation of King Edward VII and is one of the remaining physical links to the history of the village. The intricately-wrought copper casing was made in Fivemiletown itself, making it a unique part of the local heritage. The funding will restore the clock to its former glory, with a leaflet and education resource pack produced to raise awareness of this signature village landmark.

Ranging from the preservation of traditional skills, to the exploration of our maritime and industry heritage, the grants awarded today will help local communities get actively involved in heritage projects that matter to them.

Announcing the awards, Paul Mullan, Head of HLF Northern Ireland, said: “These five grants are the latest to be awarded in support of smaller or more modest projects that really help local people to dig into their past to explore, record, or share their heritage. We are delighted to support this project in Tyrone which will preserve such an iconic local landmark.

“With HLF’s investment in Northern Ireland reaching a huge £184million, we are proud of our role in helping to protect and celebrate our heritage over the last 19 years and look forward to supporting many more local projects.”

Welcoming the award, Mr Michael Callaghan from Fivemiletown Chamber of Commerce, added: “We are absolutely delighted at the news of this award. There is already a great deal of interest and enthusiasm among the people of Fivemiletown and we see it as a legacy project which will be a source of civic pride for future generations. We are looking forward to being able to proceed with the restoration plans early in the new year”.

Notes to editors

Since 1994 the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £184million to over 1,000 projects across Northern Ireland.

Further information

For further information, please contact Julie Halliday at HLF (NI) on 07733 100 674, email: julieh@hlf.org.uk.