TH[ IRISH FLY FISH ING AND GAME SHOOTING

MUSEU~i ATTA~:\G H, CO. LAOIS

Letter of support

for inscription of Irish falconry on the UNESCO Representative List

of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

I w ish to express my support for t he proposed inscription of Irish Falconry on the UNESCO

Representative List of the Intangible Cultura l Heritage of Humanit y.

As the founder and curator of the Irish Fly Fishing and Game Shooting Museum in Attanagh, Co

Laois, I am fully aware of what country pursuits mean to so many people a ll over Ireland. This

heritage needs to be prot ected as it is part of our deep and va ried history.

Falconry has existed in Ireland for several centuries and has brought much joy and inspiration to a

passionate and dedicated group of people.

For t his reason, I wish The Irish Hawking Club every success with their application.

Walter Phelan Curator Irish Flyfishing and Shooting Museum

Email: fish ingmuseum @gmail.com

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Member of IUCN and Aeeredited 1'GO to UJfESCOICH

H.E Majed Al Mansouri President United Arab Emirates

Gary Tunbrell Chief !!:."tecutive Officer Ireland

Omar Fouad A.I Ahmed SEO MENA Region

Janusz Sielicki Vice President Europe, Oceania and Africa (South of Sahara) Pol.and

Dr. Keiya Nakajima Vice President Asia Japan

Dan Cecchini Vice ?n,s;dent for the Americas Ur.lli!:d States of America

Mark Upton Executive Secreta.ry United Ktngdom

Antonio Carapu<;o Treasurer Portugal

To:

Ms. Siuead O'Hara Department of Culture. Kildare Street. Dubliu Ireland.

Rue de Flandr~ 31 Bnnelles 1000

Belgium Date: 12.01.20

Department of Culture and Tourism. PO Box Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates.

Subject: application to add Ireland to the UN"ESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage nomination file number 01209. "Falconry. a living human heritage"

Dear Sir Madam.

This organization. the International Association for F alcoury and Conservation of Birds of Prey

(IAF) has been since 10 10. the non-governmental organization accredited to pro"idc advisory

;ef'l,ices to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee on matters concerned with the

Falcoruy element. Our accreditation registration number is 90006.

V\F would like to add its support to the application from Ireland to be added to the Falconry element extension and to join thc ~ghteen other countries listed there. The Irish H11wking: Club has played a very active role in IAF since our foundation in 1968 and its delegates have always been very forthright and open in pas'>ing on knowledge. ideas and wisdom about the element.

The 1016 event held in Sneen1. Co. Kerry. and .Moyvalley. Co. Meath. showcased to the world the excellence of Irish falconry and its important role in influencing bird of prey conserYarion at home. in the European Union and in the "'ider world

Yours faithfully.

Gary Timbrell. Chief Executive Officer IAF PP H.E. Majed Al Mansouri. President IAF

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I R I S H R E I> & \\ II I ·1 E S ET TE R C L l f B

Date; 14/01/2020

To whom it may concern

SwillyView

Craig

Rathmullan

Co. Donegal

We are delighted to support the application by the Irish Hawking Club to UNESCO to have Falconry recognised as having intangible cultural heritage status.

Ireland has a long association with falconry dating back before the 121M century and it is great that

this ancient sport is still practised today.

Falconry has a shared history with another very important part of our heritage - our two native

setters, the Irish Red Setter and the Irish Red and White Setter, which to this day are used to locate wild quarry for the sport of falconry.

As president of the Irish Red and White Setter Club I would like to endorse in the strongest terms the

application by the Irish Hawking Club to have Falconry in Ireland considered for ratification under

the UNESCO Convention for the safeguarding of INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE.

I trust that UNESCO will look on this application favourably.

Jim Sheridan

President of the Irish Red & White Setter Club

13th January 2020

Sinead O'Hara

Department of Culture, Heritage and t he Gaeltacht

23 Kildare Street,

Dublin

Re: In Support of UNESCO Ratification for Irish Falconry.

Couotrvside " Alliance Ireland

Incorporating The k ish Game Prot ection Association

Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI) is an expert and informed rural campaigning organisation, representing over

11,000 people t hroughoLJt Ireland. We, and our members, work, live and participate in recreation in Ireland's

countryside and we are delighted to write in support of Irish Falconry in their request to be considered for

ratification under the UNESCO Convention to have Irish Falconry awarded Intangible Cultural Heritage status.

Originally a method of obtaining food, the practice of falconry has evolved over time to be more associated with

nature conservation, cu ltural heritage and social engagement within and amongst communities. Following their

own set of traditions and ethical principles, falconers train, fly and breed birds of prey (which includes besides

falcons, birds such as eagles and hawks) developing a bond with them and becoming their main source of

protection.

Falconers regard themselves as a group and may travel weeks at a t ime engaging in the practice, while in the

evenings recounting stories of the day together. They consider falconry as providing a connection to the past,

particularly for communities for which the practice is one of their few remaining links with their natural environment and t raditional culture. Knowledge and skills are transmitted in an intergenerational manner within

families by formal mentoring, apprenticeship or training in clubs and schools.

In some countries, a national examination must be passed in order to become a falconer. Field meets and festivals

provide opportunities for communities to share knowledge, raise awareness and promote diversity.

Thanks to the promotion and dedicated work of Irish falconers and others, falconry continues to flourish across the

island of Ireland.

We trust t hat UNESCO will consider the application favourably.

Yours sincerely

LYALL PLANT

Chief Executive

Dublin: 0·1690 36io

Belfast: 028 9263 99ll info@caireland.org www.caireland.org

Republic of Ireland Office:

Courtlough Shooting Grounds Balbriggan Co. Dublin K32 KD99

Northern Ire land Office:

64a Dows Road Belfast BT8 8LB

countrvs.de ~ luance ,s a companv ltmted b, guarantee reoister!'d n England and Walts Company numoer s-22:7778 VAT registered number 238 4645 43.

THE VOICE OF EUROPEAN HUNTERS

Sinead O'Hara Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, D02 TD30

Dear Sinead.

FACE

Rue Belliard 205

B-1040 Brussels

+ 32 (0)2 732 6900

info@face.eu

www.face.eu

13.01.2019,

On behalf of the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE), I am writing to you to express our full support for the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to add falconry to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This would be an obvious step forward from the recent listing of falconry within Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

FACE represents the national hunting associations from 37 countries in Europe and the collective interest of Europe's seven million hunters. Since 1977, FACE has been a highly respected international non-governmental organisation recognised by the European institutions in all matters related to hunting, wildlife management, animal welfare, and the representation of hunters· legitimate interests. We are long-standing members of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and actively participate as observers to all major nature conservation conventions/agreements including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Biological Diversity. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds, the Ramsar Convention and the Bern Convention. FACE is also an advisor organisation to UNESCO.

Falconry is practiced throughout the world and has a long-standing record of success in a wide range of conservation-related areas. Falconers actively engage in research, rehabilitation of birds of prey, education and awareness-raising, habitat creation and management for prey species and birds of prey, raptor population monitoring, combatting illegal killing and taking of raptors, as well as raptor translocation and reintroduction projects. Some popular ongoing projects lead by falconers include www.sakernet.org and www.perdixnet.org

Aside from its conservation role. falconry has a rich cultural heritage and has contributed significantly to language and arts, and in developing a scientific understanding in ornithology. wildlife and the natural world. Falconry is recognised by the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, with UNESCO inscription in many countries.

FACE remains at your disposal, and we offer our expertise and technical resources to support your Government in promoting falconry as a sustainable hunting 'art' in Ireland. Most importantly, we remain very confident that you will see a wide range of cultural benefits arising from promoting falconry within UNESCO.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. David Scallan Secretary General FACE - European Federation for Hunting and Conservation Rue Belliard 205 - 8-1040 BRUSSELS Office: +32 (0)2-4161614 Mobile: +353 87-9504563 Email: david.scallan@face.eu

Eoghan Ryan, Laurhill,

Hempstown, Blessington,

County Kildare W91 A489

14th January, 2020.

Re: Proposed lnscirption of Irish Falconry on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible

Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

To Whom it May Concern,

From a very early age, I had a passion for everything to do with the natural world. I loved wildlife

and was drawn to birds and then birds of prey. For me they were the 'creme de la creme' of the

avian world - predators at the top of the food chain. I recall, as a young boy, taking a book about

raptors out of the library and as I leafed through its pages, I recall reading about falconry and the art

and practice of falconry and I said to myself, 'one day I am going to do that!' without any idea as to

how I might.

My passion and interest met with serendipity and I began to accidentally meet falconers at home

and on travels abroad and eventually I got to pursue this ancient and noble activity myself. This

practical aspect of falconry, where a younger or apprentice falconer observes and learns from a

mentor or elder is essential - with knowledge passed from one generation to another.

Falconry is the art and practice of training a bird of prey to pursue prey in its natural environment­

this is important for the birds mental and physical well-being, but it is less about the game caught

but for me more about the art, the beauty and the style offlight and that coordinated role of bird,

dog and falconer in the outdoors. Thus, it is frequently referred to as the 'art and practice of

falconry'.

Falconry has connected me intimately with nature in a way that I think few other activities could

(though I find it fascinating that so many falconers are also bee-keepers, like myself, and/or pursue

art, like myself). Falconry requires an understanding about habitat and the importance of protecting

the environment. In this modern world of technological advancements and mass food production, I

think it is critical that younger generations get the opportunity to connect or re-connect with nature

and that older generations of falconers (like myself) are part of both a local and global community

that provides opportunities to share and transfer our cultural heritage of falconry to others in the

community and especially to younger generations.

This country has such a very rich tradition of falconry going back centuries and thankfully the

standard of falconry practiced in Ireland is on a par with best in the world, and some might even

argue it is second to none! For these reasons, and as a former President of the Irish Hawking Club, I

wholeheartedly support the lnscirption of Irish Falconry on the UNESCO Representative List of

lntagible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

(Letter of support 13. January 2020)

Re: Falconry in Ireland for UNESCO, support from Norway

Dear UNESCO committee

It has come to my attention that Ireland with the Irish Hawking Club, is applying for falconry on the UNESCO list, and I wish to

express a strong support from Norway for that to happen.

Falconry in Ireland is unique historically because it also includes a connection to Norway from the Norse settlement from the

Viking Age, 840AD. This led to the development of Dublin as a united trading city, linking it to major international trading cities

across the continent. No other country in all of Europe has the same amount of Irish artefacts as Norway has, which created a

diverse and rich Hiberno-Norse culture, including advanced and treasured shared hunting skills such as falconry. Falconry itself is

the definition of hunting with a trained bird of prey on wild game. The skill is an intangible heritage, as it needs to be learned

through apprenticeship over time. In archaeology, falconry artefacts are fragile materials such as bird bones, leather (gloves and

foot wear/jesses) thin metals (bells), such material is hard to recover and needs the help of experienced falconers so researchers

can recognize true falconry materials in museums. To include falconry on the UNESCO list, this will help give more historical

awareness on a heritage that is still practiced in Ireland today.

The National Museum of Ireland has in the last two years had three events on falconry in order to educate the public of Irish

falconry history. The National Museum of Ireland was not aware of the historical importance and immediately arranged public

awareness on it in Dublin, both of lrelands own history, and the connection to Norway. The first event was a collaboration

between the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger in Norway and the National Museum of Ireland in the

Natural History museum in Dublin on the collection of donated and important taxidermy falconry birds, in Irish history. The

second and third events were with the Irish Hawking Club, The Museum of Archaeology UiS and the National Museum of Ireland

on Irish wild falcons and public awareness of the collection at the Natural History Museum, and also a presentation of 'A history

of Falconry in Ireland and Norway', all of which were a public success event.

From a heritage perspective, it is vital to give support to intangible heritages such as falconry in order to secure the practice in

the future. This was not done in Norway, and the skill and history was almost lost permanently, and is just recently being

revived. Ireland has the chance now to secure Irish falconry in its history and heritage which touch upon topics from Irish art,

archaeology, language and literature.

Falconry is an essential activity in areas such as conservation of nature habitats and species protection since it needs to be

learned and practiced in nature, if any of these elements are in imbalance this will affect the art of falconry. Falconry is

additionally eco friendly and sustainable, and has a positive impact on both personal health and in rehabi litation of injured wild

bird of prey. Falconry is unique and interdisciplinary which can enrich Irish culture, heritage, health and nature conservation.

Museum Pedagog on heritage, Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger

President of Norwegian Falconry Assciation, NFA

Delegate for Norway at the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey, IAF

Local Huntress Contact for Norway's Hunting and Fishing Society, NJFF

Mobile: 0047 47415022

Ellen.hagen@uis.no

Norway

,~

Mr Shay O' Byrne

Dromard House Cowpasture

Ounlavin Co. Wicklow

13th January 2020

Re: Proposed inscription of Irish Falconry on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

To Whom it Concerns,

I w ish to express my w hole hearted support for the proposed inscription of Irish

Falconry on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Since the early seventies I have had a passion for falconry and birds of prey, nurtured from those that went before, the art and practice w hich was handed dow n from

generation to generation is an integral part of our heritage. The art and practice of

falconry in Ireland is in a healthy state with more enthusiasts practising. It is

heartening to see more young people engaged in falconry and long may this lineage continue.

I'm a visual artist and practising falconer with one inspiring the other as most my w ork is nature based. For me personally to be out in the field hunting w ith a bird of

prey in its natural environment at one w ith nature there is no better way, the same as our ancestors.

To have Irish Falconry protected and enshrined as proposed is of paramount

importance for the future of this ancient sport in Ireland, I give it my full support.

Yours Faithful lv

:~ ·-···-

(Artist/ Falconer)

IRISH HAWKING CLUB

Sinead O' Hara Culture Ireland

ESTABLISHED 1860

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht 23 Kildare St Dublin 2

Dear Sinead,

12/01/2020

On behalf of the Irish Hawking Club, I would like to offer our full support for the nomination of Falconry to be inscribed on the multinational Representative List of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages

The Irish Hawking Club is one of the oldest falconry clubs in the world; first founded in Dublin in

1860 and reconstituted in 1967. As the only representative organisation for falconry in Ireland, the

Irish Hawking Club has always played a key role in defining, encouraging and safeguarding the

practice of falconry in Ireland.

Falconry has been practiced in Ireland for millennia and it is part of the intricate tapestry of our rich

heritage and culture. History reveals that there wasn't a corner of Ireland where the tradition of

falconry didn't exist. This practice still exists in the 32 counties to the present day and it is a source

of pride that the Irish Hawking Club boasts of a unified membership north and south of the border.

Today, falconry in Ireland enriches the lives of many through its connection with the natural

environment. It provides people with a sense of identity and continuity, and its safeguarding

promotes, sustains, and develops cultural diversity and human creativity.

It was a great sense of honour and pride for the Irish falconry community to have Falconry inscribed

on our National List of Intangible Cultural Heritages in July 2019 and we fully endorse it's inscription

on the UNESCO multinational Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritages.

Yours Sincerely,

<---···--. ·),.....,--' (.

Don Ryan Director Irish Hawking Club

•' J --)·---• -·,,·· . ./

Falconry Inscribed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind

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Ms. Sinead O'Hara Department of Culture, Ki ldare Street, Dublin Ireland.

Dr. Nasser Al Himiri Department of Cu lture and Tourism, PO Box 2390 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates.

Dear Ms. Sinead O' Hara and Dr. Nasser Al Himiri,

I am writi ng to you to explain what I as Education officer at the National Museum of Ireland have

observed of the public interest in the ancient tradition of falconry in Ireland and why we consider it

important to mention in our ongoing guided tours of the National Museum of Ireland.

In March 2019 we had two events at the National Museum of Ireland to celebrate and communicate

the long history, heritage and modern practice of Falconry. The events were held on the one day, one

at the Natural History branch and one at the Archaeologica l branch of the National Museum of

Ireland. Both events were at booked out, in that they had ful l audiences, we had 208 people attend in

t he morning the drop-in event and 41 attend the discussion about the tradition and archaeological,

oral, and written evidence for falconry in Ireland during the afternoon. The details of those events are as fo llows:

Falconry & Falcons: Saturday 23rd March 2019. 10.00-12.30pm / All Ages. No Booking Required. Drop-in and meet falconers, Ellen Hagen from the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger, Norway and Hilary White from the Irish Hawking Club. See up-close a real live falcon, discover this predator's top hunting techniques and learn about the different types of birds of prey in Ireland, during this drop-in event.

A History of Falconry in Ireland and Norway: Saturday 23rd March/ 2.30 - 3.30pm / Ages 12+ Falconers Ellen Hagen from the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger, Norway, and Hilary White of t he Irish Hawking Club will explain the archaeological and historical evidence for falconry in Norway and Ireland, from medieval to modern times.

KILDARE STREET

Dublin 2, Ireland

TELEPHONE +353-1-6777444

FAX +353-1-6766116

W-CALL 1890-687386

SRAID CHILL DARA

Baile Atha Cliath 2, Eire

TEILEAFON +353-1-6777444

FAICS +353-1-6766116

GLAO AITIUIL 1890-687386

National Mus eum of Ireland Ard-Mh usae m na hEirean n

We commissioned these events as we thought it important to include the practice of Falconry in our

programming to highlight traditional and medieval past-times. Additionally we also wanted to discuss

past times which were practiced in Ireland during the time periods represented by the archaeological

collections of the Museum, from the Neolithic to 1550 AD, and there is evidence that falcons were

valued and it was practiced during those times. We were also interested in bringing to the public's

notice those practices that would also be suitable to use to teach about sustainabi lity and

environmental education.

We had many happy families come to the more informal morning event and display at the Natural

History Museum, both families based in Ireland and visiting from abroad, and adults, were fascinated

to hear more about the modern practice and also the long history of falconry in Ireland. We were

especially delighted on the day to see the appeal of Falconry to young people and their engagement

with the practitioners. It can be difficult to reach young adults, or teenage audiences and to get them

to engage in an enthusiastic way in a publ ic forum about the ancient heritage of Ireland so we were

delighted to see the reaction to this event.

We have built on this interest from the public and we expanded the teaching items we use during our

regular guided tours to include a falconry hood and bell, this generates great interest and discussion

during tours at the Museum. We also wou ld intend to run more events on this topic in the future at

the National Museum of Ireland.

Yours sincerely,

, . .,, '. ·._/

Siobhan Pierce Education and Outreach Officer - Archaeology & Natural History National Museum of Ireland -Archaeology Kildare Street Dublin D02 FH48 Ireland Telephone:++ 353 1 677 7444 ext.314 Direct line:++ 353 1 648 6314 Email: spierce@museum.ie Museum website: www.museum.ie

KILDARE STREET

Dublin 2 , Ireland

TELEPHONE +353-1-6777444

FAX +353- 1-6766116

LO-CALL 1890-687386

SRAID CHILL DARA

Baile Atha Cliath 2, Eire

TEILEAFON +353-1-6777444

FAICS +353- 1-6766116

GLAO AITIUIL 1890-687386