Vital renovation works have begun at the historic Heinrich Böll Cottage on Achill Island, Co. Mayo

The German Embassy Dublin is delighted to announce that, with the financial aid of the Deutscher Bundestag (German Parliament), renovation works will be carried out from this September until the end of the year.

The Achill Heinrich Böll Association purchased the cottage in 2003 to ensure its continued use as an artists` residency, and to guarantee the continued benefits to the Achill community and to the country.

The German Embassy has been supporting this project for a long time, as German Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Deike Potzel, can attest to:

“The German Embassy is very delighted that the Böll Cottage undergoes renovation with the help of German financial support. Thanks - among others- to the German-Irish Parliamentary Friendship Group, to other German Parliamentarians who visited Ireland, to the President of Heinrich-Böll-Foundation in Germany, a special budget heading in the German Federal Budget 2020 was created to finance the renovation of the Böll Cottage in Achill and thus support the important work of the Böll Association. This extraordinary move underlines the importance Germany attributes to our bilateral relations with Ireland and to fostering the cultural links that exit between our two countries.”

Deike Potzel, German Ambassador to Ireland

The cottage was once owned by the German writer & nobel prize laureate, Heinrich Böll, who fell in love with Ireland in the 1950ies and spent many summers in the cottage in Co. Mayo. His book called “The Irish Journal” has inspired thousands of Germans to travel to Ireland. Now, his cottage serves a retreat for international artists, and as a venue for the annual “Böll Weekend”, a program for and with artists from Ireland and abroad, readings, concerts, and guided tours.

“The works will secure the future of the Heinrich Böll cottage and the writers and artists international residency on Achill Island. The Achill Heinrich Böll Association wishes to acknowledge the strong support of the German Ambassador, and for her commitment in helping secure funding support from the German Bundestag. We also acknowledge support of Dr. Ellen Ueberschär, President of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Berlin, and members of regional Heinrich Böll Foundations in Germany in promoting the work of the Achill Heinrich Böll Association.”

John Mc Hugh, Secretary Achill Heinrich Böll Association

The refurbishment work will cost almost 100.000 Euro and will include interior improvements, structural repairs, a new insulation and an efficient heating system.

Please find out more about the Böll cottage on http://heinrichboellcottage.com/

Please do not hesitate to contact us:

Contact cultural section

You can also find out more about the work of the German Embassy as well as the German Ambassador, Mrs. Deike Potzel on

https://dublin.diplo.de/

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