A £2.49million grant was awarded through the Landscape Partnerships programme to deliver 27 integrated projects around the lough shore over the next five years. 

• The lough’s wetlands, peatlands and boglands will be restored
• The local community will benefit from new skills development and training opportunities
• The project will help to regenerate the areas around the lough shore to make them better places to live
• It will also provide training for 240 people, full-time jobs for five people and 200 volunteering places

Lough Neagh is bounded by five counties and sits at the geographical heart of Northern Ireland. It is the largest lake in the UK and Ireland and is hugely significant to Northern Ireland’s heritage.  It is home to several unique species including freshwater herring, trout and the abundant Lough Neagh Fly. It is also the site of one the few remaining wild eel fisheries in the UK.  It has been a base for prehistoric settlements, Viking raiders, the Plantation of Ulster, and it was used for RAF and United States Air Force training during the Second World War.

HLF has already invested £37.6m in Northern Ireland’s natural heritage which is helping to conserve key habitats and species, restore historic built heritage features and reconnect people to their local landscapes.