The National 1798 Rebellion Centre in Enniscorthy has been awarded over €80,000 through the DAF Growing Social Enterprise Fund 2024/2025, a significant boost that will help enhance accessibility and visitor experience at the historic site.
The funding was announced on Tuesday, May 20th, at the Food Cloud distribution centre in Tallaght by Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary, TD, and Minister of State Jerry Buttimer, TD. The Enniscorthy-based Centre was one of more than 120 social enterprises across Ireland to benefit from this latest round of funding.
The grant will be used to install a new lift at the Centre, replacing the current one which has become unreliable and outdated, with replacement parts no longer available.
Centre Manager Mico Hassett, who spoke at the announcement event, welcomed the funding as a vital step toward making history accessible to everyone.
“We deeply feel that history should be accessible by all and we are actively upgrading our exhibition to improve legibility, increase font sizes, and modernise our technology to be more accessible,” Hassett said.
“Every young person, every older person, every group should be able to have the same experience when visiting us. Museums, heritage sites, and cultural attractions should be as fully accessible as possible. We are very grateful for the support of the DAF Growing Social Enterprise Scheme in helping us strive for this.”
The Centre’s Board and Management extended their thanks to Ministers Calleary and Buttimer, as well as everyone involved in securing the funding. The lift upgrade is expected to significantly improve the visitor experience for those with mobility issues and support the Centre’s ongoing mission to preserve and share Ireland’s revolutionary history in an inclusive and engaging way.
The National 1798 Rebellion Centre is open seven days a week—Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 5:00pm, and weekends and Bank Holidays from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. Visitors can explore the award-winning exhibition through self-guided tours, while group guided tours of the 1798 Centre, Enniscorthy Castle, and Vinegar Hill Battlefield are available by pre-booking.