WINTER 2006 | SPRING 2007ISSN - 1393 - 9777

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN IRELANDexploring our unimagined heritage

BOG BODIESHow do you feel about the display of ancient human remains?

THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2007-2013A golden opportunity in managing Ireland’s national heritage

HERITAGE WEEK 2006 • SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN IRELAND • CONSERVING OUR MARITIME HERITAGE

The Heritage Council works to protect and enhance the richness,quality and diversity of our national heritage for everyone.

www.heritagecouncil.ie

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E H E R I T A G E C O U N C I L

2

C O M M E N T

FOOD FOR THOUGHTFeeding a Strategic Plan

Christmas is a coming and the geese are gettingfat.... please put a penny in the development of heritageinfrastructure at a local level.

The above refrain may not have the same ring as the origi-nal but it certainly has resonance with those who, in the past fewmonths, have taken the time to respond to the Heritage Council’sDraft Strategic Plan 2007-2011. Over 100 substantive submis-sions were received in addition to many others which simplyacknowledged receipt of the draft. This return measures upexceptionally well to any public consultation exercise.

The draft plan sees Council building on its successful keypartnerships at local level, particularly through the local authori-ty hertiage officers. It also sees Council’s grants programmesbeing dramatically expanded to meet the undoubted demand anda very firm committment to increase work on awarenesss raising,enjoyment of, and accesibility to our national hertiage.Underpinning all of this is the emphasis placed on conservationand the need to develop the highest possible public and profes-sional standards for all working in the area.

The public response was overwhelmingly supportive of thebroad approach proposed and included very constructive critic-sm of certain elements which will be re-drafted as a result. Whatwas most interesting was the response, unprompted, where thosemaking submissions highlighted the issues of most concern tothem and/or the group they represented. The top three issueswere levels of awareness, landscape and biodiversity. This in factmirrors the positive shifts in public attitude towards this aspect ofour national heritage which has been highlighted in marketresearch carried out by the Heritage Council over the last fewyears. It also shows that the connection between people, theirhertiage and the quality of their environment is becoming moreestablished. There is also an emerging willingness to pay for aservice to deliver that quality.

The Plan requires allocation of additional funds to Council.Ambitious we may be, but the significance of our heritage needsto be fully recognised in all programmes and activities. AsChristmas is a coming and the time to finalise allocations to pub-lic bodies in the Book of Estimates looms large, let us hope thegrowing public support for heritage related activities translatesinto significant increases in available resources i.e. more money. Itis after all the public’s purse in the first place and they deserve tobe listened to.

MICHAEL STARRETT Chief Executive

CONTENTSHeritage News 3

FEATURESHeritage Council Grants Programme 6

Industrial Heritage in Ireland - Dr. Colin Rynne 8

The first Irish Walled Towns Day - Alison Harvey 13

Bog Bodies - The display of ancient humanremains - Jerry O’Sullivan 18

Limestone Pavement Conservation 21

Tourism in Ireland - the environmental challenges - Paddy Matthews 22

The Emerging National Development Plan2007-2013 - Alison Harvey 24

Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics - Jane Helps 27

Conserving Ireland’s maritime heritage - Beatrice Kelly 28

Kanturk Castle - Jason Bolton 30REGULARS

Gallery – Mike Brown 14Books 32Poetry 34Letters to the Editor 34Crossword 35Notice Board 36Heritage Council Staff and Heritage Officers 39

Established under the Heritage Act of 1995

Heritage Council, Rothe House, Parliament St, Kilkenny, Co. KilkennyTel: 056-7770777 Fax: 056-7770788

Email: mail@heritagecouncil.comwww.heritagecouncil.ie

For further contact details see page 39.

HERITAGE COUNCIL MEMBERS:Tom O’Dwyer (Chairperson), Betty Coffey,

Billy Colfer, Prof. Gabriel Cooney, Ted Creedon,Brendan Dunford, Deirdre-Ellis King, Donal Enright,

Dr. Caro-lynne Ferris, Rhonwen Hayes, Maurice Hurley, Mary Keenan, Noel Keyes, Martina Maloney, Nioclás Ó Conchubhair,

Finola Reid, Virginia Teehan.

All rights reserved. The views, opinions and policies expressed inHeritage Outlook may reflect those of the contributors but do not

necessarily reflect the views of the Heritage Council, Heritage staff orthe magazine’s editorial staff. While all reasonable efforts have beenmade to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publication, noresponsibility can be accepted by the Heritage Council for problems

arising as a result of the magazine’s content.

Produced by Isabell Smyth - The Heritage CouncilEdited by Juanita Browne, Designed by Ian Barry

Fron

t C

over

Pho

to:T

he 2

6th

(“B

olan

d’s”

) lo

ck o

n th

e G

rand

Can

al n

ear

Tulla

mor

e, C

ount

y O

ffaly.

See

pag

e 8.

3

HERITAGE NEWS

The new draft Heritage Plan (2007-2011) for County Laois is now available forpublic comment. Earlier this year, members ofthe public were invited to take part in the con-sultation process to help identify heritage issuesand needs at a local and regional level, and topropose and discuss actions to address issueslocally.

All issues raised by the public were used toinform the process of writing the draft plan,which has now been formally adopted by Laois

County Council. Members of the public haveanother chance to contribute, by commentingon the draft plan, up until November 3rd2006. All comments and concerns will be takeninto account before the plan is finally adopted,in December 2006.

The Draft Laois Heritage Plan 2007-2011 isavailable to download from www.laois.ie/Departments/Heritage/Laois+Heritage+Plan.htm,or hard copies can be ordered from the Laois HeritageOffice, ccasey@laoiscoco.ie, phone 057-8674348.

Raphoe Community-In-Action organised aconference entitled ‘Beltany: From Druid toAbbot: footprints on our landscape’ which tookplace from Friday evening, October 6 to Sundayafternoon, October 8, 2006, in Raphoe, CountyDonegal. The conference was opened by Dr.Brian Lacey, Chief Executive of the DiscoveryProgramme. Dr Lacey’s new book entitled CenelConaill and the Donegal Kingdoms, AD 500-800was launched at the conference. The keynoteaddress “Two Saints, Two Scholars: Colm Cilleand Adoman: the making of Early Irish Culture”was delivered by Prof. Dáibhí Ó Cróinín,Department of History, National University ofIreland, Galway. Among the issues explored atthe conference was the significance of BeltanyStone Circle, a national monument near Raphoe;local history and archaeology; traditional uses oflocal flora and fauna; implementing the CountyDonegal Heritage Plan; the art of the metalworker; religion and landscape; and the makingof early Irish culture. Guest speakers includedKevin Barton and Mary Harte, Beltany StoneCircle Research Project; local historian CaryMeehan; naturalist Stuart Dunlop; CaiminO’Brien, Archaeological Survey of Ireland; Dr.Michelle Comber, Department of Archaeology,National University of Ireland, Galway; and Dr.Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal HeritageOfficer. To learn more about the conferenceplease see www.beltany-circle.com or contact:Mary Harte, Raphoe Community-In-Action,Volt House, The Diamond, Raphoe, CountyDonegal. Telephone (074) 917 3966 or email:mary.harte@ireland.com

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE HERITAGE OF COUNTY LAOIS

BELTANY: FROM DRUID TO ABBOT

Top: The community ‘HeritageWall’ at last year’s conference inRaphoe, entitled ‘Beltany:Rediscovering an AncientLandscape’'.

Above: Dr. Brian Lacey, ChiefExecutive of The DiscoveryProgramme, discusses thearchaeological significance of apassage tomb at theKilmonaster grave complex.

4

Farmland Habitats - Built and Natural Heritage is anew publication produced as a joint initiative of theHeritage Council and Teagasc. The book is an introduc-tion to the habitats commonly found on farmland inIreland. It highlights those elements of farmland that areof greatest value to Ireland’s biodiversity and identifiesways that farming practices influence habitat quality.Topics include: “The need to protect our legacy; Farmingand biodiversity; Farmland wildlife – the farmer's role;Farm habitats of wildlife value; and Creating new wildlifehabitats on the farm”. This is a publication that will be ofinterest to all farmers who want to improve the wildlifevalue of their farmland.

For more information on Heritage Council publica-tions, please see www.heritagecouncil.ie

ISBN 1 901137 84 8

FARMLAND HABITATS - BUILT AND NATURAL HERITAGE

HERITAGE NEWS

On October 16th, a conference on HabitatCreation and Restoration, organised by the Instituteof Ecology and Environmental Management, tookplace at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin.The conference was opened by EnvironmentalConsultant and well known author, Richard Nairn.Sessions included: Native Woodland Creation andEnhancement by Declan Little, Woodlands ofIreland; Sourcing and Using Native Seeds by JackieMorgan, Ecoseeds; Constructed Wetland Systems byFeidhlim Harty; and River Habitat Enhancement byMartin O’Grady, Central Fisheries Board.

Jackie Morgan’s presentation focused on thepractical aspects of habitat creation and repair, aswell as examining a number of case studies. Becausemore habitat creation and repair projects are takingplace, there is an increasing need for seed of localprovenance, especially in relation to Habitat andSpecies Action Plans. The main processes involved inmeeting this need were highlighted.

The Institute of Ecology and EnvironmentalManagement (IEEM) is the leading institute forprofessional ecologists in the UK and Ireland. Itnow has over 2,600 members, drawn from localauthorities, government agencies, industry, environ-mental consultancy, teaching/research and non-government organisations. In early 2005 an Irishsection of the Institute was established in order torepresent and support professional ecologists andenvironmental managers in both the Republic ofIreland and Northern Ireland.

For more information about the Institute,please see www.ieem.net

HABITAT CREATION AND RESTORATION

5

HERITAGE WEEK 2006

Left: Young people enjoy aprinting experience at the Print Museum, Dublin, duringHeritage Week.

Below: On a ‘Walk throughIrish History’ with Pat Hollandin Drumboe Woods, Stranorlar,County Donegal.

In 2006, the Heritage Council took overthe coordination of Heritage Week for the firsttime. Heritage Week 2006 took place fromAugust 26th to September 3rd – earlier thanprevious years. It turned out to be a wonderfulweek, with a truly breathtaking variety ofevents. This year there was a greater emphasison the outdoors and, from the feedback wereceived, some of the events could have beenbooked out several times over. Family eventswere especially successful as parents enjoyed thelast of the summer sunshine with their childrenbefore schools started back.

Dora the Explorer was unable to competewith those children who went bat exploring,hunting for Vikings or indeed those who went

in search of medieval weaponry. From Cork toDonegal, there were a host of child-orientedevents. We hope to see this aspect of the weekcontinue to grow next year with innovativeprojects that involve young people enjoyingtheir heritage.

National awareness of Heritage Weekgrew this year by over 60%. In 2005, 36% ofthose surveyed were aware of the week’s activ-ities, compared to 58% in 2006. The number ofevents taking place around the country alsogrew from 600 in 2005 to 900 this year. This isa real testament to the number of people whovolunteered their time as so much of HeritageWeek depends on the work of local voluntaryorganisations.

We hope you will join us again next year from August 25th to September 2nd

and make Heritage Week an essential date on the national calendar.

6

Through the Heritage Council's GrantsProgramme, we hope to encourage andenable people throughout Ireland to

enjoy, record, conserve, restore and celebratethe distinctive qualities of their local heritage,their community and their environment.Applications are invited for imaginative andinnovative proposals from organisations andindividuals who wish to carry out projects thatconserve Ireland’s heritage.

Since 1995, Council's grants have assistedhundreds of projects of varying scales fromdiverse fields, each contributing to our heritageat local or national level. We have sought toconserve and enhance the built and naturalenvironment by offering grants that reachacross the heritage spectrum. The HeritageCouncil is part-funded by the National Lotteryand allocates funding to eight grant schemes:• Archaeology• Architecture Research• Buildings at Risk• Local Heritage • Museums and Archives• Publications• Wildlife• Biodiversity Fund

The following is a sample of just some of thegrants awarded as part of the Heritage CouncilGrants Programme:

RECLAMATION OF OLD BURIAL GROUND/EARLYCHRISTIAN SETTLEMENTDelgany Community Council were successfulunder the 2006 Local Heritage Scheme. Theaim of the project is to preserve this historicalsite, which dates back to the 7th century, forfuture generations. From the early stages of thisproject the group consulted with their localHeritage Officer, Loretto Guinan, about pro-posed works at the graveyard, and togetherwith Chris Corlett, Archaeologist, DoEHLG,have received advice and recommendations onbest practice guidelines.

Selective tree surgery, vegetation controland path surfacing have all been carried out toa very high standard and with sensitivity to thehistoric value of the site. The erection of inter-pretive signage, and the offering of guided vis-its as part of Heritage Week has significantlyincreased awareness about the Early Christianheritage of the graveyard and allowed greateraccess to this important element of the village’sheritage, which was previously largelyunknown. The conservation also facilitatedheadstone recording by the local residents andvisits by local schoolchildren.

STRAW COTTAGE, ARDMORE,CO WATERFORD‘Straw Cottage’ received funding under theBuildings at Risk Scheme for repairs to the

THE HERITAGE COUNCILGRANTS PROGRAMME

7

roof. This house represents a good example ofa vernacular house with stone walling, originalwindows and doors, straw and Irish reed thatchachieved in the traditional style, gabled roofand unwrought roof timbers. By 2005, thethatch was in poor condition, with water pene-trating a number of places, and required urgentre-thatching. This was achieved during Apriland May 2006. The Irish reed used wassourced from the Blackwater River atClashmore, Co Waterford, with a small amountsourced from the Shannon Estuary. The re-thatching has been completed in the tradition-al hidden scallop style to an excellent standard.

BRINGING HERITAGE ALIVEIN SOUTH GALWAYThe Friends of Coole in partnership withGalway County Heritage Forum, GalwayCounty Council, the National Parks andWildlife Service and The Heritage Council,delivered a course entitled ‘Reading theLandscape: Coole Park and its environs’ in theVisitor Centre in Coole Park, Gort, Co.Galway. The course took place from January toMarch 2006 and included a series of eight lec-tures exploring different aspects of the natural,cultural and built landscape and heritage ofCoole and the surrounding area. The contribu-tors were: Paul Gosling, Gordon D’Arcy, Dr.Peter Harbison, Sr. de Lourdes Fahy, Éanna NíLamhna, John Joe Conwell, Tim O’Connelland Dr. Riana O’Dwyer. The course concludedwith two field trips: ‘Exploring the Landscapeof Garryland Nature Reserve’ led by Gordond’Arcy, environmentalist and writer; and‘Discovering the Hidden Treasures of SouthGalway’ led by Dr Peter Harbison, archaeolo-gist and author. This field trip explored some ofthe monastic sites and church heritage detailedby Dr Harbison in his recent publication, AThousand Years of Church Heritage in EastGalway.

The course was funded by the HeritageCouncil under our local heritage grant schemeand also by Galway County Council HeritageOffice. The National Parks and WildlifeServices provided all facilities. Sixty-five peopleattended from all parts of County Galway andNorth Clare. The lectures conveyed the idea ofthe south Galway area as a region with a richand diverse range of landscapes, from archaeo-logical and historical to literary, artistic andecological.

DUNE PROTECTION ANDSTABILIZATION - SOUTHBEACH, ARKLOWArklow Tidy Towns have been successful intheir application for funding under the LocalHeritage Scheme in 2005 and 2006. ArklowSouth beach has been subjected to natural ero-

sion over the past 30 years. Hurricane Charliehad a devastating effect in late 1980s whenrock protection works were carried out. Theremaining dunes have been under terrible pres-sure, both natural and human, ever since. Withthe assistance of Conservation VolunteersIreland and a landscape Architect, speciallydesigned Sand ladders were constructed to tryto protect the dunes and to guide human activ-ity within the beach area. Their success hasexceeded all expectations. Young and old alike,using both buggies and wheelchairs, are fre-quent visitors to the facility. Wire fencing andtimber posts have been put in place to limithuman access to dunes, and marram grass hasbeen planted. The group have reported a 90per cent success rate within these areas and selfseeding of other species has also occurred.

Opposite Page: ‘Straw Cottage’, Ardmore, Co Waterfordre-thatched in 2006 under the Heritage Council’s Buildingsat Risk Scheme.

Above Top: Reclaim of Old Burial Ground/Early ChristianSettlement, Delgany Village, Co Wicklow – Local school-children help with the ‘clean-up’ operation following reme-dial works carried out by professional tree surgeons.

Above: The Friends of Coole – field trip ‘Exploring thelandscape of Garryland Nature Reserve’ led by Gordand’Arcy, environmentalist and writer.

8

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE in Ireland

In Ireland upwards on 100,000 sites ofindustrial archaeological interest survive,varying in size from small rural lime kilns

(probably the most common) to BallincolligGunpowdermills, county Cork, which, at 435acres, is the largest industrial archaeological sitein Ireland and the second largest of its type everto have been constructed in Europe. Many ofthese sites are commonly found within incredi-bly rich and varied landscapes which, up to theadvent of the ‘celtic tiger’ economy, had sur-vived without almost any human interference.This extremely fortunate state of affairs is, forthe most part, a consequence of the generallack of industrial development in Ireland.However, while this has enabled a large num-ber of important sites in Ireland to survive –even within the environs of the major townsand cities – these have been hidden from view.

The landscapes of industrial and industri-

alising Ireland have remained as much undis-covered as they have been unimagined. Up tovery recently, they had barely been acknowl-edged by legislation in the Republic of Ireland,where all buildings of post AD 1700 date hadlong been seen as ‘colonial’ and thus iconic ofBritish rule. This misplaced, some would saywarped, sense of national identity, has longsince ceased to influence most people’s percep-tion of Ireland’s built environment in the peri-od of European industrialisation. While historicindustrial sites and monuments are still ’under-valued’, in the sense that they have been sub-ject to much less scrutiny relative to sites of ear-lier periods, within the last two decades bothlocal and national government in Ireland hasbegun to act more favourably towards them.

Owing to severe industrial resourcerestraints in Ireland – principally the lack ofcoal and iron ore – eighteenth and nineteenth-

9

century Irish industries tended to be concen-trated within the environs of port towns. Mostof the centres of production and consumption,indeed, were on the east coast, where somefour-fifths of the coal imported into Irelandwas directly consumed. Yet some industrialactivities, such as mining, were generally locat-ed quite some distance from existing centres ofpopulation. As early as the seventeenth century,Irish ironmasters had been obliged to provide,in varying degrees, accommodation, land and abasic social infrastructure for their skilled work-ers. These latter measures were largely aninducement to attract the requisite personnelfrom English – and even European – ironwork-ing regions to settle in this country, and by thismeans relatively large immigrant communitieswere to become temporarily settled throughoutthe island. This same settlement pattern was tobe continued in the nineteenth century in keyIrish extractive industries, where again Englishand Welsh mining specialists were to be housedin what were often self-sufficient industrialcommunities.

Mining settlements, then, tended to besited away from existing settlements, but soalso were early factories and other industrialinstallations in the eighteenth and nineteenthcenturies, in order to harness a reliable supplyof water power. In this way, whole new villageswere created in which housing and otheramenities were provided by companies anxiousthat their workforce be close at hand and also,to a certain extent, be easier to control.Workers’ housing in nineteenth-centuryIreland could also be built under the auspicesof philanthropic societies or local authorities,although the accommodation provided was

intended to improve the living conditions ofthe working classes in general and was not spe-cific to any factory or, indeed, industry.

Ireland’s partial and largely incompleteindustrialisation was truly one of bold contra-dictions. Her shipbuilding, linen, brewing andmilling industries were all, during certain peri-ods, of international significance. But in othersectors industrial growth was extremely limited,a circumstance which was not to significantlychange after Independence. As with archaeo-logical sites of most periods, historic industrialbuildings and landscapes have survived basical-ly through inertia. Even buildings in a ruinousstate have continued to exist simply because ofthe expense involved in demolishing them.Others, however, are extant because their orig-inal function is still valid, as in the case of manyrailway stations, or because an alternative usehas been found for them. Some buildings,indeed, have been re-used several times for dif-ferent industrial purposes. At any stage duringa building’s history accretive adaptations arelikely to have occurred, and it is these adapta-tions which define the building’s function overcertain periods of time. These adaptations canvary greatly. They can be purely structural, as inthe case of the addition of an extra storey, anannex or fireproof flooring. Motive power andplant can also change through time eitherthrough modernisation or a completechangeover to another manufacturing process.In the latter case, internal changes to the build-ing may be much more in evidence, but in allinstances changes to a building’s form andfunction will determine the extent to which itwill survive the next period of technologicalmodernisation or economic change. A buildingor complex whose form has become too spe-cialised is unlikely to be re-used when its origi-nal purpose has become obsolete, and in con-sequence its chances of survival would, in nor-mal circumstances, be considerably reduced.But in Ireland de-industrialisation in manyareas during the nineteenth century and subse-quent economic underdevelopment has createda relatively high survival rate for many different

Opposite: Copper mining complex,

dating to the 1850s, atTankardstown, County

Waterford, before conservationworks undertaken by the

Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland

Right:The Midleton Distillery,

County Cork, established in1824, and opened as a heritage

centre in 1993.

The landscapes of industrial andindustrialising Ireland have

remained as much undiscovered as theyhave been unimagined.

10

varieties of archaeological site. Many importantIrish industrial archaeological sites have alsobenefited from this circumstance, and have sur-vived in recent times without protective legisla-tion.

Since 2000, the Local Government(Planning and Development) Act, has obligedlocal authorities to list important historic build-ings. Under the provisions of the act, they mustnow set up and maintain a Record of ProtectedStructures (RPS), in which they are to includebuildings and structures of special architectur-al, historical, artistic, cultural, scientific or tech-nical interest. The act also provides for the cre-ation of Architectural Conservation Areas(ACAs), in which groups of important build-ings and their setting can be afforded protec-tion in local authority development plans. TheArchitectural Heritage (National Inventory)Act of 1999 empowered the minister for Arts,Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands to rec-ommend to Irish local authorities that certainhistoric buildings be included in their listing ofprotected structures. Structures listed by theNational Inventory of Architectural Heritage asbeing of regional, national or international sig-nificance can now feature is these listings. In2002, the control of the government depart-ments responsible for built heritage was trans-ferred to the Department of Environment,Heritage and Local Government (DOELG).The Heritage Act of 1995, which establishedthe Heritage Council as a statutory body, alsomade provision (Section 10 [4]) for the desig-nation of structures in public ownership, as inthe case of semi-state companies such as theBórd na Móna or the Electricity Supply Board,as heritage buildings.

Inevitably, perhaps, given the AD 1700cut-off date for the inclusion of archaeologicalsites deemed worthy of study and preservationin the early National Monuments Acts, the spe-cific study of industrial monuments in theRepublic of Ireland did not really get underwayuntil the late 1960s and early 1970s. In reality,though, it was already flourishing, albeit underother names. The Irish Railway Record Society(IRRS), established in 1946, with activebranches in the larger Irish cities and inLondon, has long been involved in the conser-vation and preservation of Ireland’s railwayheritage, and the establishment of an all-Ireland Steam Preservation Society has resultedin a series of ambitious restoration schemes. Anabiding enthusiasm for Irish canals, coupledwith a realisation of their enormous potentialfor amenity use and tourism, led to the estab-lishment of the Inland Waterways Associationof Ireland (IWAI), co-founded by Colonel

Harry Rice and Vincent Delany in 1954. TheIWAI has been actively involved in canal con-servation projects and scored a notable successin its campaign to save the Dublin section ofthe Royal Canal. The 1990s witnessed furtherimportant developments such as the re-genera-tion of the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal(now restored as the Shannon-Erne Waterway)and the creation of a cross border initiativecalled Waterways Ireland, in 2000.

Unfortunately, the enthusiasm shown forrailways and inland waterways in Ireland wasslow to spread to other areas. In the early1970s the Irish Society for IndustrialArchaeology was established, and its members(notably William Dick, Gavan Bowie and KenMawhinney) published a wide variety of shortpieces on the more notable Irish sites in themagazine Technology Ireland (1969- ). The lat-ter were aimed at a general readership, andtheir expert insight, when wedded to an attrac-tive magazine design, did much to focus atten-tion on the country’s industrial heritage. Yet bythe end of the 1970s this society was defunct.A new organisation, the Society for IndustrialArchaeology in Munster – a predominantlyCork-based body – was established in 1986.The latter also sprang from promising originsbut eventually met with the same fate.However, in June 1996, a new society, theIndustrial Heritage Association of Ireland(IHAI), with a 32-county membership con-cerned with the preservation and recording ofthe industrial heritage of Ireland, was estab-lished. Since its foundation the membership ofthis society has been actively involved in surveywork, conservation, and in influencing govern-ment policy on matters of relevance. Its mostsuccessful project to date, run in conjunctionwith Fingal County Council, has been therestoration of the former Shackleton’s AnnaLiffey Mill near Lucan, county Dublin.

The Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland(formerly the Mining History Society ofIreland) was established in 1996 to cater for agrowing interest in the development of Irishmines and their history. In 2004 it completedimportant conservation works on a rare manengine house at Allihies, county Cork and iscurrently undertaking (2004-6) similar works

The contribution of voluntary organizations in Ireland north and south,as in the UK, to the preservation of industrial heritage, has been enormous.

11

Blennervillewindmill nearTralee, CountyKerry, restoredto workingorder in thelate 1980s.

Far Left:The interior ofthe turbinepumping houseof 1888, atCorkCorporationWaterworks.

Left:Lancashireboilers at CorkCorporationWaterworks,built at Belfastand installed in1904.

12

on the Bunmahon/Tankardstown miningcomplex in county Waterford, where it plans toprovide interpretive facilities.

The contribution of voluntary organiza-tions in Ireland north and south, as in the UK, tothe preservation of industrial heritage, has beenenormous. And here, as elsewhere in theseislands, the predictable complacency of the stateauthorities entrusted with the protection of his-toric buildings and landscapes towards nearly allstructures associated with the later historic peri-od, has provided an extra fillip to their efforts.But how long can such a ‘hands off’ approach besustainable, where the state heritage authoritiescontinue to value archaeological sites and monu-ments grouped in the conventional (one mightsay, ‘safe’) chronological categories, over those ofthe later historic/industrial period? The percep-tion that a building’s historical value is directlyrelated to its age (regardless of the frequencywith which similar building types occur elsewhereor even within a particular locality) is, unfortu-nately, an erroneous but deep-rooted one.

Dr Colin Rynne lectures in theDepartment of Archaeology, UCC. His excel-

lent book Industrial Ireland 1750-1930: AnArchaeology, has recently been published

by the Collins Press, Cork. ISBN 1-905172-04-4

LaurenceAtkinson’sCelbridgewoollen mills,CountyKildare, built in1805.

The earliestIrish suspen-sion bridge onthe CamcorRiver insideBirr Castledemesne inCounty Offaly,built shortlybefore 1826.This the oldestextant examplein Europe.

the predictable complacency of the stateauthorities entrusted with the protection of

historic buildings and landscapes towardsnearly all structures associated with the

later historic period.

13

On Sunday August 27th, as part ofNational Heritage Week 2006, andbefore all the children went back to

school, 19 walled towns throughout the island ofIreland came together to celebrate their uniqueheritage, as part of the first ever, Irish WalledTowns Day.

The all-island event was coordinated by theHeritage Council through the Irish Walled TownsNetwork, a Council initiative, established in April2005. Irish Walled Towns Day is identified as akey project under the Irish Walled TownsNetwork’s Draft 3 Year Action Plan 2006-2008.

The following towns and cities organisedevents as part of Irish Walled Towns Day:Athenry, Athlone, Carlingford, Carrickfergus,Cashel, Clonmel, Cork, Derry, Drogheda,Dublin, Fethard, Galway, Kilkenny, Kilmallock,Limerick, New Ross, Waterford, Wexford,Youghal.

Local heritage officers, heritage groups,communities and businesses, local representativesand government ministers were all involved in theorganisation and launch of the day's events.Events included family fun days, concerts, confer-ences, guided walks of the historic walls, battle re-enactments, falconry displays, medieval craft dis-plays, archery, colouring competitions, puppetshows and the launch of local Historic Walls pho-tographic competitions. International WalledTowns’ Friendship Circle Flags were also flownon all civic buildings within member towns andcities on the day.

Over 4,000 people took part in this, the firstIrish Walled Towns Day. Ten of the Walled Townsalso launched Local Historic Walled TownsPhotographic Competitions. The chosen themefor the local photographic competitions was:“Historic defensive walls have left unique and vis-ible impressions on our Irish towns and cities.”

The closing date for entries to the competitionwas September 29th and two winners (Adult andUnder 18), chosen in each of the 10 WalledTowns, will then go forward to a national round.The two national winners will be awarded at theinaugural Irish Walled Towns Network GalaDinner on November 9th in the D Hotel,Drogheda.

Planning for Irish Walled Towns Day 2007has already commenced and the members of theIrish Walled Towns Network look forward to see-ing you at next year’s events!

For further information on the Irish WalledTowns Network and the Network’'s activities,please contact Alison Harvey or Anne Barcoe.

- Alison Harvey, Heritage Council Planning Officer

Copies of the Irish Walled Towns Day 2006Feedback from Members Report are avail-able to download from the IWTN web-page on the Heritage Council’s website,www.heritagecouncil.ie

THE FIRST IRISH WALLED TOWNS DAY Far Left:

Leinster Re-enactorspresent a falconry display atAthenry Castleto celebrateIrish WalledTowns Day.

Left: AthenryHeritageCentre staffcelebrate IrishWalled TownsDay in style.

‘The Wallflower’ by Peter Mulholland, Carrickfergus, winner of the Adult section of the Walled Towns DayPhotography Competition.

14

GALLERY Images of Irish Nature

These wonderful images are taken from Images of Irish Nature, a new book by acclaimed wildlife photographer, Mike Brown.

Foreword by Éamon de Buitléar and including essays by Juanita Browne, Richard Collins, Gordon D’Arcy, Damien Enright, Michael Viney and Pádraig Whooley.

RRP €39.95. Available from Easons and all good bookshops.

Order now on www.mikebrownphotography.com

15

GALLERY

16

GALLERY

17

GALLERY

18

This is a confessional piece. Some weeksago I was asked a direct question on liveradio and with nigh on a million listeners

I fluffed it. On Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1), DerekDavis wanted to know if I agreed with the publicdisplay of ancient human remains. For anyonewho has thought about this at any length there isno simple answer. Also, as I was the only archae-ologist on air at the time, I felt I had to answerfor everyone in my profession – including muse-um curators – and not just for myself. But here inthe more measured medium of print I will try toexplain why I prevaricated and I invite readers ofHeritage Outlook to ask themselves the samequestion that I considered on air.

The context of the interview was the recent-ly opened exhibition at the National Museum ofIreland on ‘Kingship & Sacrifice: an exhibition onIron Age bog bodies and related finds’. There areremains of three adult men on view in this exhi-bition. Organic material survives for a very longtime in the anaerobic conditions of peat bogs –no dry bones these – and intact human skin andhair can have a powerful effect when displayed. Avisitor to the exhibition had written to the IrishTimes to complain that she found this exhibitioninappropriate and upsetting. Liveline picked upthe story and soon the air was buzzing with opin-ions of every hue.

BogBodies

Jerry O’Sullivan asks

how you feel about the

publin display of ancient

human remains

19

The core of this problem is that the treat-ment of human remains by archaeologists is dia-metrically opposite to their treatment by societyin general. In almost every part of the world, inevery period of human history, it has been cus-tomary to bury the dead with ceremony, in a spe-cial place set apart from everyday life. The deadthemselves are regarded with reverence. Strongtaboos attach to their physical remains and theplaces where they lie. In effect, they are put apartand hidden away. Archaeologists, on the otherhand, have a lively and pragmatic interest in theremains of the dead. We treat them as scientificmaterial to be harvested, analysed and interpret-ed. We bring the dead back into the light, figura-tively speaking, in our analytical reports and,quite literally, in our museum exhibitions.

Ancient human remains do constitute a veryvaluable scientific resource. Sex, age, diet, diseaseand breaks or traumas, working habits and evensocial status all leave tell-tales on human bonethat ‘speak’ to the osteoarchaeologist about thesort of life an individual lived in the past.However, an ancient skeleton is never solely sci-entific material, no matter how long the individ-ual has been dead, but is always the remains of aperson, too. And as Paul Bahn pungently askedabout those talking bones: ‘What if the deceasedis asking you to go away and leave him in peace?’(‘Do not disturb. Archaeology and the rights ofthe dead’, Oxford Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 3[2], 127-39).

Some of my archaeological colleagues areimpatient with this view. The dead do not knowand cannot care what is done to them, they argue,so why worry about what they might think aboutour investigations of their remains. I disagree.Archaeology is pretty good at answering ques-tions about the material aspects of life in the past– concerning agriculture, or trade, or domestic

architecture - but a harder challenge is to under-stand how ancient peoples felt about themselvesand the world about them. This requires imagina-tion as well as science. A sympathetic imaginationis fundamental to archaeological work, therefore,and within this ethos we must try to bridge thepast between now and then by treating thehuman subjects of our inquiries with the sort ofrespect we would hope to be afforded ourselves,after death.

In advocating a sympathetic treatment ofthe dead I must acknowledge that archaeologicalexcavation and museum display are conductedthese days with greater care and purpose than wassometimes the case in the past. And a careful, pur-poseful treatment of human remains – undertak-en for the common good – can be a very respect-ful treatment of the dead. The gap is bridged notleast at the point when human remains areexposed, cleaned, recorded and lifted during anexcavation. Any experienced excavator will tellyou that, in addition to a sense of discovery, thereis also a sense of personal amity with that bonyface gazing up in surprise from a pit in the earth.

The National Museum of Ireland has cura-torial responsibility for all ancient human remainsdiscovered in Irish archaeological excavations.Indeed, in Irish law, they are explicitly defined as

Opposite Page: Sixteenth-century adultmale skeleton from Tullagh Upper,County Galway (Martin Jones).

Above & Following Page:Archaeologists treat human remains asscientific material to be inspected andinterpreted. Excavation of an earlymedieval cemetery at Carrowkeel,County Galway (Headland Archaeology Ltd).

Left: In almost every part of the world,it has been customary to bury the deadwith ceremony, in a special place setapart from everyday life. The women’sgraveyard, Inishmurray, Co. Sligo.(J O’Sullivan).

“the treatment of human remains byarchaeologists is diametrically opposite to

their treatment by society in general”

20

‘archaeological objects’ and subject to all the pro-visions of the National Monuments Acts that gov-ern the discovery and curation of, say, medievalpots or prehistoric arrowheads.

In the present case the Museum has exhib-ited the remains of three ‘bog bodies’ to tell acompelling story about kingship and ritual sacri-fice in Irish prehistory. The exhibition alsoincludes a range of related objects, includingkingly regalia, horse trappings, weapons, feastingutensils, textiles and boundary markers. The bod-ies were not recovered from cemetery excavationsin this case but were accidentally discovered dur-ing peat-cutting, at different locations. They havesince been the subject of intense analysis by aninternational team representing six countries.

The results shed light on Irish society in lateprehistory but are also startling in the level of per-sonal detail they reveal. One individual set his hairwith a luxury gel made from pine resin andimported from the European mainland. Anotherwas exceptionally tall at 6ft 6in but, despite hisstature, microscopic examination of his fingernailsshowed he had never done any physical labour.

The individuality of these dead persons isacknowledged in the design of the display. Thebodies are not exposed within the general exhibi-tion space. Instead, each occupies a high-walledcylindrical cell, dimly lit and large enough for onlya handful of people to enter at one time. Theseare very private spaces – almost sepulchral – and,on entering these cells, visitors feel compelled tospeak in quiet voices or to not speak at all.

Well, what about you? Are you going in tolook or staying outside in protest? I made mymind up about this some years ago at another‘bog body’ exhibition, in the British Museum, inLondon. The head and face of Lindow Man aremarvellously well preserved. He too was rituallymurdered. The garrote still clings to his neck. Hiseyes are closed and his lips pursed in an expres-sion, it seems, of pained thoughtfulness. Standingover his glass display case I felt a powerful sensa-tion that thousands of years in time had been con-densed into mere inches in space. But I also felt

uneasy and wondered if Lindow Man was beingviolated again, this time by his exposure to thepublic gaze. Then I reflected on the grand liberalhumanist enterprise in which Archaeology partic-ipates: this is driven by the desire to know every-thing about ourselves and the World that it is pos-sible to know, and the generosity to share thatinformation with one another. Lindow Man isparticipating in that enterprise too and perhaps,after all these years, there is consolation in that fora sacrificial victim of pagan times.

I felt the same unease when I visited‘Kingship & Sacrifice’ in Dublin this summer, butI also appreciated the purposeful and sensitivedesign of that exhibition. And I also felt a convic-tion that it would be wrong to seek to prevent anyother visitor from sharing this same experience,from exploring the moral quandary of displayinghuman remains, or from forming their own imag-ined relationship with the people whose remainsare now on display at the National Museum ofIreland.

Jerry O’Sullivan is the authorof ‘Ethics and the archaeology ofhuman remains’, published in theJournal of Irish Archaeology(Volume X, 2001, 121-49) and co-author of Human Remains in IrishArchaeology: legal, scientific, plan-ning & ethical issues (J O’Sullivan,M Hallissey & R Roberts), pub-lished by the Heritage Council in2002. He is currently working as aProject Archaeologist in theNational Roads Design Office at Galway CountyCouncil.

‘Kingship & Sacrifice: An exhibition on IronAge bog bodies and related finds’ is on display untilMay 2008 at the National Museum of Ireland -Archaeology and History section, Kildare Street,Dublin. Open 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday,and 2pm to 5pm on Sunday. Admission is free.

“in addition to a sense of discovery, there is also asense of personal amity with that bony face gazingup in surprise from a pit in the earth”

Hand of OldcroghanMan, from the‘Kingship & Sacrifice’exhibition, courtesy ofthe National Museumof Ireland.

21

Limestone pavement is one of Ireland andthe UK’s rarest and most treasured land-scape features, creating a natural habitat

for a rich diversity of wild flowers, ferns andwoodland plants. The characteristics of this won-derful feature have taken some 15,000 years ofexposure to form. Sadly, large areas of limestonepavement have been lost due to the practice ofbreaking up and removing limestone blocks toprovide water-worn limestone for use in gardenrockeries and for landscaping materials.

Only 3% of limestone pavement in the UKnow remains in pristine condition. Almost alllimestone pavement in the UK is legally protect-ed. For example, in England it is an offence todamage or remove stone from pavement areascovered by Limestone Pavement Orders.

Research carried out on behalf of theLimestone Pavement Biodiversity Action Plansteering group has shown that limestone pave-ment is still being sold by garden centres andstone merchants to meet demand for water-wornlimestone in the UK. This demand can lead tothe damage of unprotected limestone pavements,for example those in Ireland.

Rather than putting limestone in your gar-den, why not visit some of the world's most stun-ning limestone pavements. These can be foundall over the UK and Ireland including Malham inthe Yorkshire Dales and the Burren in Ireland.

IN BETWEEN A ROCKERYAND A HARD PLACE

Once removed, limestone pavement cannot be replaced

THINK BEFORE YOU BUYBuying water-worn limestone for use as a gardenfeature leads to environmental damage caused bythe removal of the stone from its natural habitat.The stone is also sold under names that may dis-guise the fact that it is water-worn limestone. Thesenames include Weathered limestone, Westmorlandstone, Cumberland stone and Irish limestone.

So, before you buy please ask retailers andgarden centres about the sources of any limestoneon sale.

ALTERNATIVES TO LIMESTONEPAVEMENTThere are some authentic artificial alternativesavailable from retailers offering a wide range ofcolours, shapes, sizes and textures that will com-plement most gardens. Or why not create yourown stones by using the simple instructions below.This way you can create the stones to the exact sizeand shape to suit your needs and leave the naturallimestone pavements in their normal surroundingsfor us all to enjoy.

HOW TO MAKE LIMESTONEPAVEMENT ALTERNATIVEIngredients: 2 parts coir; 2 parts sharp sand; 1 partfresh cement concrete (neutral for best effect);water; a sheet of Hessian sack or polythene.

INSTRUCTIONS:1. Dig an irregularly shaped hole in the ground to

be a mould for your rock.2. Line it with the Hessian sack, or polythene with

lots of crinkles to create the texture of the sur-face of the rock

3. Mix the ingredients together to a porridgeyconsistency, pour into the hole. Wait until thor-oughly dry - about 3 days, depending on theweather.

4. Lift out the rock and move to desired site.5. Paint with yoghurt or liquid manure to encour-

age weathering.

Rare areas of limestone pavement across Ireland andthe UK are still under threat for use as a garden fea-ture. For more information about the sale of lime-stone pavement read “Shattered Stone,” a report pro-duced on behalf of the Limestone PavementBiodiversity Habitat Action Plan steering group.Available from www.limestone-pavements.org.uk/threatsFor more information about the limestone pavementaction plan visit www.ukbap.org.uk

Photos courtesy of The Countryside Agency, UK.

22

Scenic landscape rates among Ireland'smost valuable tourism assets. In 2005,82% of visitors rated Ireland’s scenery as

an important reason for visiting Ireland; some77% said they were attracted by the naturalunspoilt environment while 60% mentionedIreland's attractive cities and towns. Annual vis-itor surveys repeatedly confirm that Ireland isprized by overseas visitors for its clean, greenimage. The tourism industry has successfullytraded upon this unspoilt, unpolluted image fordecades, but with unprecedented growth inrecent years, the quality of this core tourismproduct is coming under increasing pressure.

The continued growth of the tourism indus-try into the future, like any industry, will dependto a large degree on the quality of its raw materi-al. The tourism industry, therefore, has a majorinterest in maintaining the quality of the environ-ment, including the quality, character and distinc-tiveness of scenic landscapes and historic urbanareas, our built and natural heritage and the qual-ity of water in our rivers, lakes and off our coast.

The impact of tourism needs to be closelymonitored as it has both direct and indirectimpacts on the environment. Primary environ-mental impacts resulting from tourism develop-ment and activity include land-use change, energyand water consumption, waste disposal, threats tobiodiversity and exchange and dispersal of diseaseand invasive species. Many of these impacts can beavoided or mitigated but greater awareness andeffort is required throughout the industry in theareas of transport, accommodation, attractions,activities and destination management.

Poor environmental quality also has a directnegative impact on tourism. Fifteen years or so ofintensive development has changed the characterof many rural landscapes and a decline in waterquality has had a direct negative impact on theangling tourism product. Poor urban planningand bad traffic management have failed in someinstances to conserve the essential characteristicsof many of our historic town centres, therebyreducing their appeal to tourists.

Studies have shown that while environmen-tal image and environmental quality can moveindependently of one another in the short andmedium term, image will undoubtedly track qual-ity in the long term. As a tourist destination,Ireland currently has a positive environmental

image, but how long will that last if we don’t takepositive steps to reverse current environmentaltrends. We cannot expect to rely upon the rawmaterial of tourism indefinitely without making aserious effort to conserve its quality. To ensurethe sustainable growth of the industry, the linkbetween economic growth and a decline in envi-ronmental quality must be broken. This is thechallenge of ‘sustainable development’, and byextension, ‘sustainable tourism’.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISMSustainable tourism can be defined as follows:

Sustainable tourism provides a high qualityproduct based on, and in harmony with, a highquality natural environment. It minimises adverseimpacts on local communities, our built heritage,landscapes, habitats and species while supportingsocial and economic prosperity. (DoE, 1997)

Sustainable tourism is not a different type oftourism, rather it is a way of managing tourism toensure that the social and environmental capitalupon which it is based is conserved into thefuture. It might not always be visually noticeableto the visitor (e.g. good water quality) but the vis-itor will nonetheless benefit from it. Central tosustainable tourism is the concept of carryingcapacity. Once a tourism development or activityexceeds its environmental limits, it can no longerbe said that it is operating sustainably. For exam-ple, if holiday home development in a coastal des-tination exceeds the capacity of the local wastewater treatment plant, it places the future statusof a Blue Flag beach at risk. In addition to theenvironmental agenda, sustainability also meanslooking after the quality of life of local communi-ties in tourist areas.

The main aim of sustainable tourism is to‘embed’ or ‘mainstream’ sustainability issueswithin tourism. Sustainable tourism is not con-fined to the limits of Fáilte Ireland’s strategicplans, but is reliant on partnership, and assumes acollective responsibility across the industry.

ECOTOURISMA clear distinction should be made between theconcept of sustainable tourism and ecotourism.Ecotourism is a market segment of tourism, basedon the natural environment and including the prin-ciples of sustainability. The Green Box is Ireland’sfirst dedicated eco-tourism destination, and offers awide range of eco-tourism activities and products.

Tourism in Ireland- the environmental challenges

PADDY MATTHEWS INTRODUCES FÁILTE IRELAND’S NEW ENVIRONMENT UNIT AND EXPLAINS THE CONCEPTS BEHIND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

23

The difference between sustainable tourismand ecotourism has been highlighted by theQuebec Declaration, which stated that ecotourismembraces the principles of sustainable tourism butis distinguished in the following ways:1. It contributes actively to the conservation of

natural and cultural heritage;2. It includes local and indigenous communities

in its planning, development and operation,contributing to their well-being;

3. It interprets the natural and cultural heritageof the destination for visitors;

4. It lends itself better to independent travelers,as well as to organised tours for small sizegroups. (World Ecotourism Summit, Quebec,2002)

THE ROLE OF FÁILTEIRELAND IN DELIVERINGSUSTAINABLE TOURISMIn recognition of the central importance of theenvironment for sustainable tourism developmentin Ireland, Fáilte Ireland has recently establishedan Environment Unit. The principal functions ofthe Unit are:1. To seek the protection of key tourism and

environmental assets.2. To advise on the formulation of sustainable

tourism and ecotourism policies at national,regional and local levels.

3. To promote good environmental practiceswithin the tourism industry.

A number of other initiatives have also beentaken by the Authority in an effort to improve theenvironmental performance of the industry. FáilteIreland’s Product Development Strategy 2007-2013,which was launched in October 2006, is under-pinned by a strong recognition of the value of ahigh quality physical environment to the tourismindustry.

The tourism sector interacts closely withother policy areas - transport, energy, environ-ment, planning, business and trade - and there is aneed to achieve better co-ordination and integra-tion of policies with these sectors. Fáilte Irelandworks in partnership with all relevant agencies andbodies, aiming to provide leadership and supportto the industry in formulating and implementingpolicies for sustainable tourism in Ireland.

In 2006, Fáilte Ireland launched a secondTourism and the Environment grant scheme as

part of the Tourism Product Development Scheme2002-2006. Projects involved visitor and trafficmanagement, area-based planning and analysis ofcarrying capacity, training and awareness, littercontrol, development of alternative touring routes,and best practice in environmental restoration.

The Performance Plus programme, whichhas been established by Fáilte Ireland as a businesssupport service, is designed to assist tourism busi-nesses to increase the sustainability of their enter-prise through reducing their environmental impactby increasing energy efficiency, cutting down onthe use of fossil fuels, minimising waste and con-serving water. These measures have also beenproven to significantly reduce the running costs oftourism businesses where they have been imple-mented.

Fáilte Ireland also supports the EU Flowereco-label for tourist accommodation as a means ofacknowledging the high environmental perform-ance of the particular accommodation provider.The Authority is supportive of the establishmentand introduction of higher standards in environ-mental management throughout all streams of thetourism industry and will work with all industrysectors to this end.

The future of Irish tourism is inextricablylinked to the quality of the environment. WhileIreland continues to maintain its clean, green image,it is a fact that our environmental image will trackour environmental performance in the long term.This is a cause for concern and a strong incentive tothe industry to change the way in which tourismand tourist facilities are managed in Ireland. Toavoid this, Fáilte Ireland will work with all sectors ofthe industry to ensure that tourism contributes tothe conservation and enhancement of the high qual-ity environmental resource upon which it is based,and will promote high standards of environmentalmanagement throughout the industry.

- Paddy Matthews, Environment Unit, Fáilte Ireland.

As a tourist destination, Ireland currently has apositive environmental image, but how long willthat last if we don’t take positive steps to reversecurrent environmental trends.

24

In August 2005, the Irish Governmentannounced its intention to prepare thenew National Development Plan 2007-

2013 (NDP 2007-2013), as a successor to thecurrent National Development Plan (NDP)2000-2006. The Government stated in itsbriefing documents that the new Plan intendsto build on the success of the previous plan andin particular will ‘seek to address the investmentnow necessary to maintain national competitive-ness within a sustainable economic and budget-ary framework’. As part of the initial NDP2007-2013 preparatory process, theGovernment commenced an extensive consul-tation process with ‘social partners, regionalbodies and other concerned interest groups’.

In this context, the Department ofFinance, as the Government Departmentcharged with coordinating the preparation ofthe next NDP, invited the Heritage Council tomake a submission on the proposed scope andpurpose of the NDP 2007-2013. The HeritageCouncil’s written submission (March 2006) isavailable to download at www.heritagecoun-cil.ie. A summary version is set out below.

THE HERITAGE COUNCIL - A STATUTORY BODY

The Heritage Council considers that theNational Development Plan 2007-2013 pro-vides a timely opportunity to ensure that theGovernment’s strategic planning functions willfacilitate, and encourage, the accrual of long-term benefits and opportunities for the sustain-able management of our national heritage, inaccordance with stated Government policy andour obligations under various EU Directivesand International Conventions and Treaties.These include opportunities to raise publicawareness of the ‘intrinsic value’ of our nation-al heritage (including its economic, social, spir-itual and cultural value) and to ensure that any

current ex-ante cost-benefit appraisals (CBA)fully consider the long-term impact and bene-fits of (monetary and non-monetary) potentialinvestment priorities on all aspects of ournational heritage.

It is important to highlight that in every-day life, a number of the heritage elements, asdefined in The Heritage Act 1995, are oftenexperienced together, rather than in isolation.For example, the ‘character’ of landscape mayderive from a range of prehistoric, historic, cul-tural, and belief attributes, as well as modern dayland use. As a consequence, effective protection,conservation, management and development ofsuch landscapes requires an holistic and strategicapproach, one which ensures the connectionsbetween elements are not only recognised butare maintained and strengthened.

As a result, the Heritage Council’s sub-mission recommends that the new nationaldevelopment plan's guiding principles shouldfully endorse the adoption and implementationof a ‘systemic management approach’. Thisapproach should be embraced during all stagesof the plan, including its design, implementa-tion, monitoring and review, to ensure success-ful and sustainable change-management duringthe plan period. Such an approach will not onlyassist in the sustainable management of ournational heritage, but will also recognise thedynamic and changing landscape in which itsits.

The Heritage Council recommends thatthe emerging NDP 2007-2013 be informed bythe following national heritage and sustainabledevelopment strategies and plans:

• National Biodiversity Plan 2002

• National Heritage Plan (April 2002)

• Sustainable Development Strategy (1997)

THE EMERGING NATIONALDEVELOPMENT PLAN 2007-2013

A Golden Opportunity in Managing Ireland’s National Heritage

1 Ireland’s national heritage is defined under the provisions of The Heritage Act 1995, which can be downloaded fromwww.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA4Y1995.html

25

In addition, the Heritage Council strong-ly advocates that the emerging RuralDevelopment Strategy 2007-2013 should beprepared in parallel with the formulation of theNational Development Plan 2007-2013 toensure synergy in relation to cross-sectoralrural regeneration and farm diversification pro-grammes and priorities.

ENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT

Since the preparation of the previous NDP2000-2006, the Irish Government has adoptedthe requirements of the EU SEA Directive(2001/42/EC) through the EuropeanCommunities (Environmental Assessment ofCertain Plans and Programmes) Regulations2004 S.I. No. 435 of 2004. This represents aprofound alteration to the context withinwhich the emerging NDP will be developedand there is evidence of the need for a robustenvironmental assessment for the new NDP2.The Heritage Council recommends that arobust environmental evaluation (ex-ante andex-post) should inform the formulation ofemerging [and future] NDPs. Such provisionwould greatly assist the validation of the coreprinciples underpinning the Plan.

RURAL REGENERATION ANDDIVERSIFICATION

Successful regeneration means bringing social,economic, environmental and cultural activityback to an area. Regeneration transformsplaces, strengthens a community’s self imageand ‘sense of civic pride’ and recreates vital,viable and attractive places, which encourages

sustained inward investment. Regeneration is arural, as well as an urban imperative in Ireland.Although the end result may look very differ-ent from urban regeneration, rural develop-ment, e.g. the revitalisation of rural communi-ties, landscapes and buildings, is necessary toaddress pockets of social exclusion or to adjustto structural changes and upheavals in agricul-ture and the rural economy. This is particularlyrelevant in Ireland given the reorganisation ofthe European Common Agricultural Policy(CAP) and discussions at the recent, althoughinconclusive, World Trade Organisation(WTO) talks in Hong Kong.

As noted above, the re-use and awarenessof the inherent value of heritage assets is at theheart of sustainable development. TheHeritage Council has been at the forefront ofpromoting the re-use of heritage assets inIreland and in encouraging the adoption ofheritage-led regeneration and developmentpolicies at a local, regional and national level. Itshould be highlighted that recent marketresearch conducted by Lansdowne MarketResearch on behalf of the Heritage Council(August 2005) reveals that 86% of the Irishpopulation believe the government shouldoffer tax incentives to people to encourage her-itage protection. To date such initiatives havebeen primarily concerned with safeguardingaspects of our built heritage, encouragingdevelopment in deprived areas and safeguard-ing heritage objects. There is now a case to bemade in directing such incentives in a moreintegrated manner to ensure not only value formoney (VFM) but to take account of theintrinsic value of our National Heritage.

2 It should be highlighted that the SEA process is similar to the Heritage Appraisal approach, which was introduced intothe Irish Planning System by the Heritage Council in 2000 (Heritage Appraisals of Development Plans, The HeritageCouncil, 2000). To date over 40 plans have been influenced by a heritage appraisal being undertaken at draft stage, includ-ing in 2005, the Draft Donegal County Development Plan and the Draft Laois County Development Plan. Copies of theseheritage appraisals are available on the Heritage Council website, www.heritagecouncil.ie.

26

IRELAND’S BUILT HERITAGEThe Heritage Council's submission makes ref-erence to an important Council-sponsoredstudy entitled ‘Built to Last: The SustainableReuse of Buildings (2004), undertaken byDublin City Council’s Heritage Office3, whichsets out a number of innovative recommenda-tions, as follows:

• The many organisations and interests whichconstitute the Irish construction industryshould be made aware that re-using buildingsis a viable alternative to demolition and newconstruction, with additional environmentaland cultural benefits that translate to moreprofitable buildings in the long term.

• The study findings support the acknowledgedinternational view that the re-use of buildingsminimises the depletion of non-renewableresources and is therefore essential to sustain-able development.

• This study has shown that the re-use of build-ings has greater value for the environment andcost savings over the future life of the build-ings. Existing buildings can also have greateraesthetic and heritage values.

• The case studies show that constructing newbuildings on brown-field sites is more expen-sive than retaining and re-using existing build-ings except in situations where the extent ofbuilding repair and refurbishment required isextremely high. As the repair costs decrease,the re-use option becomes progressively moreeconomic to a point where reduced costs of asmuch as 50% can be achieved.

• From a cultural perspective the existing build-ings were considered to have added value andthus out-performed the replacement buildings.

(Source: Built to Last: The Sustainable Reuse ofBuildings, page 3-4.)

As such, the Heritage Council recom-mends that the NDP promote the re-use ofbuilt heritage assets, in order to facilitate widersustainable development and heritage-ledregeneration, and to promote a sustainableconstruction strategy within Ireland.

NATURAL AND CULTURALHERITAGE - LANDSCAPES

The EU Landscape Convention (ELC) wassigned and ratified by Ireland on the 22ndMarch 2002. The Convention came into forcein Ireland on the 1st March 20044. TheEuropean Landscape Convention states that thelandscape:

... ‘has an important public interest role in

the cultural, ecological, environmental andsocial fields, and constitutes a resource favourableto economic activity and whose protection, man-agement and planning can contribute to job cre-ation; ... contributes to the formation of local cul-tures and ... is a basic component of the Europeannatural and cultural heritage, contributing tohuman well-being and consolidation of theEuropean identity; ... is an important part of thequality of life for people everywhere: in urbanareas and in the countryside, in degraded areasas well as in areas of high quality, in areas recog-nised as being of outstanding beauty as well aseveryday areas; ... is a key element of individualand social well-being and ... its protection, man-agement and planning entail rights and respon-sibilities for everyone’.

The Heritage Council recently completeda national evaluation of existing LandscapeCharacter Assessments (LCAs) in Ireland, withthe cooperation of the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentand Fáilte Ireland (March 2006). This timelystudy aims to complement earlier policy pro-posals from the Heritage Council and seeks toprovide further detailed recommendations,which will inform the design of a clear nationalcross-sectoral work programme to be imple-mented in the short term. This proposedNational Landscape Management Programme,which will embrace effective landscape manage-ment, planning and development and conser-vation and promotion, will enable Ireland tomeet its requirements, as set out under the pro-visions of the EU Landscape Convention 2002.

CONCLUSIONSThe proposed National Development Plan2007-2013 and resulting investment pro-gramme is likely to have a significant impact onthe national heritage in the long term andindeed also presents a number of potentiallysignificant benefits for the national heritage.These benefits need to be formally recognisedand where possible assessed from the outset,and then realised during the Plan period.

The NDP, in recognising the vastlyimproved statutory and strategic context inwhich it now sits and building on theseimprovements, has an opportunity to be testedto the highest standards. By example, the NDPcan create a much-needed boost to the eco-nomic and environmental significance attachedto our national heritage in a manner, which willassist greatly in the overall realisation of theplan’s specific aims, objectives and investmentpriorities.

By Alison Harvey, Heritage Council Planning Officer

3 Built to Last: The Sustainable Reuse of Buildings, Dublin City Council/The Heritage Council 2004.4 Source: http://www.coe.int/t/e/Cultural_Co-operation/Environment/Landscape.

Ireland’s countryside is undoubtedly a highquality natural resource. The spatial extent anddiversity of the resource base lends itself to the

provision of opportunities for a wide range ofcountryside recreation activities for both the localpopulation and for an increasing number oftourists. As pressure, from recreational use, on ourlandscapes and seascapes continues to increase, it isappropriate that a national system is put in placethat will ensure that visitors to the Irish country-side, whether locals or tourists, visit with care.

To date, no national Country Code has exist-ed in the Republic of Ireland, although a plethoraof codes from various organisations have beendeveloped. In the UK, currently, three differentversions of the Country Code exist. In 1999, theCountryside Access and Activities Network(Northern Ireland) revisited the Country Codeand modified it to make it more relevant to recre-ational users. More recently, England and Walespublished a new Country Code following theintroduction of the CROW Act and Scotland pub-lished another version, the ‘Access Code’, follow-ing the introduction of its Freedom to Roam legis-lation.

In early 2004, an ad hoc committee wasestablished in Ireland to progress the idea of estab-lishing one system for all of Ireland. The commit-tee consisted of the Countryside Access andActivities Network (NI), Duke of EdinburghAward Scheme (NI), Coillte, National Parks andWildlife Service, Forest Service (ROI), HeritageCouncil, Irish Uplands Forum, MountaineeringCouncil of Ireland, Mountain Meitheal, ScoutingIreland and The Presidents Award.

In 2005, it was agreed that the Leave noTrace message was the most relevant to theIrish context. Leave no Trace differs fromall existing country codes in that it is an‘education programme’ that constantlyputs the message and skills before out-door users. Leave No Trace concepts

can be applied in Ireland’s uplands and lowlands, inurban parks, on lakes and rivers or in local neigh-bourhoods.

Leave No Trace Ireland hopes to promoteand inspire responsible outdoor recreation througheducation, research and partnerships. The pro-gramme will strive to build awareness, appreciationand respect for Ireland's natural and cultural her-itage and is dedicated to creating a nationallyrecognised and accepted outdoor ethic that pro-motes personal responsibility and land stewardship.

It encourages all outdoor enthusiasts (e.g.walkers, mountain bikers, canoeists, horse riders)to do their part to maintain those lands used by thepublic for the benefit of fragile ecosystems and forfuture generations.

At the heart of Leave No Trace are sevenprinciples for reducing the damage caused by out-door activities. These are:

1 Plan ahead and prepare

2 Be considerate of others

3 Respect farm animals and wildlife

4 Travel and camp on durable surfaces

5 Leave what you find

6 Dispose of waste properly

7 Minimise the effects of fire

During the past 18 months, the ad hoc com-mittee worked to secure the necessary funding toallow the appointment of an All-Ireland Leave NoTrace Co-ordinator, who is tasked with coordinat-ing, developing, managing and actively promotingthe Leave No Trace message across Ireland. LeaveNo Trace Ireland runs training courses and aware-ness workshops. If you are interested in training,joining Leave No Trace, or publishing the LeaveNo Trace message please contact: Jane Helps, Leave No Trace Ireland Co-ordinator,ROI: 26 Dolphin’s Barn Street, Dublin 8. Tel.

(01) 4736283 / (086) 8109022. NI:Countryside Access and Activities Network,

The Stableyard, Barnett's Demesne,Belfast, BT9 5PB. Tel. +44 (0)2890303930. Email: info@leavenotraceireland.orgWeb: www.leavenotraceireland.org

LEAVE NO TRACE IRELANDJane Helps explains the need for

responsible outdoor recreation and the

resultant ‘Leave no Trace’ message

27

it is appropriate that a national system is put inplace that will ensure that visitors to the Irish coun-

tryside, whether locals or tourists, visit with care

28

Conserving Ireland’sMaritime Heritage

Coastal andmarine heritageis of high value

to Ireland by providinga number of services.Our coasts and seas areused for transport and for industries such as fish-ing and aquaculture, tourism and recreation.Natural habitats, such as mud flats, salt marshesand sand dune systems, also provide coastal pro-tection and help filter polluted waters.

However this heritage is under pressurefrom a range of human activities such as inap-propriate development, urban sprawl, changes intraditional activities, pollution and litter. Climatechanges and changes in sea level and coastlinesexacerbate this.

Reduction in the quality and quantity ofcoastal and marine heritage impacts negativelyon those communities who depends on coastalresources, and may impact on the national econ-omy in the long term. The quality of life for peo-ple in Ireland will be diminished if coastal andmarine heritage is lost or damaged irreparably. Itis necessary, therefore, to provide for its protec-tion and enhancement, if only for our own long-term benefit.

The HeritageCouncil has recentlylaunched a policy paperon marine and coastalheritage, based on sev-eral years’ research and

consultation. The previous Marine and Coastalcommittee held a number of seminars, in June2002, November 2004, and May 2005, theresults from which were incorporated in thisdocument, along with the outcomes of projectsundertaken during this period. For example:Review of Best Practice in ICZM, Bibliomara,and the Coastal and Marine Resource Directory.Valuable contributions were made by organisa-tions that included the Martin Ryan Institute,the Marine Institute and the Geological Surveyof Ireland.

The Heritage Council is calling for anintegrated and strategic approach to the man-agement of our coastal areas which places her-itage at the core. This strategy should include acomprehensive review of relevant policies andmeasures currently in place, a managementframework for environmental protection andmanagement, and a campaign to raise awarenessof maritime heritage.

Sea Urchin - Sarah Varian

Currachs at Doonagh, Achill - Darina Tully

Thongweed curtain - Sarah Varian

29

Specific recommendations are made onaspects of heritage, including seascapes, biodi-versity, water quality, climate changes, offshoreactivities, fisheries and cultured species, under-water archaeology, built heritage, traditionalboats, islands and recreation. In particular, theCouncil calls for:• Clear guidance and advice for new develop-

ment in coastal areas• Protection for coastal landscapes and the pro-

motion of sustainable tourism• Specific and identifiable budgets for manag-

ing water quality as part of the implementa-tion of the Water Framework Directive

• Off-shore and coastal biodiversity protectionplans

• A national plan for erosion and flood man-agement to account for the likely effects fromclimate change

• Clear guidelines for assessing and grantingpermission for off-shore energy production

• Improved conservation plans, clear guidelinesand better recording of data on fish stocks toaddress serious over-exploitation

• Improved management plans for aquacultureenterprises or fish farms to reduce ecologicaldamage and improve the visual impact on thelandscape and seascape

• Greater awareness of Ireland’s maritime her-itage which includes coastlines, the seas,plants, fish and animals, coastal villages,towns and cities, rich fishing traditions, cus-toms and folklore, recreation and tourism

• Conservation of traditional boats for com-mercial and recreational purposes

Beatrice Kelly, Inland Waterways / Marine Officer

The Heritage Council’s Policy Paper onConserving Ireland's Maritime Heritage can bedownloaded at www.heritagecouncil.ie

ISBN 1 901137 83 10The Council is very grateful to Rick

Boelens, committee member, for collating andediting the document and to the other commit-tee members for their input and advice: SimonBerrow, Ted Creedon, Ruth Delany, RobertDevoy, Leo Hallissey, Gillian Mills, CillianRoden, and Willie Smyth.

Blue Jellyfish - Sarah Varian

Rosslare Cots,Burrow Strand -Darina Tully

30

K anturk Castle, Co. Cork, is one of thelargest fortified houses in Ireland, and isheld in trust by An Taisce. The

Architectural Research grant schemes fundedwork in 2004 and 2005 to investigate any scien-tific evidence that would show if the castle wasever completed, and a management plan whichexplored possible futures for the castle.

Kanturk Castle appears at first glance as theclassic castle style of a four-storey rectangularblock with massive five-storey flanking towers ateach corner, and is part of a series of fortifiedbuildings built during the 17th century usingarchitectural ideas drawn from ElizabethanEngland. The precise construction date is notknown and there has been a certain amount offolklore and local traditions surrounding its con-struction and the McCarthy Clan. The builder,the Gaelic Prince Dermot MacOwenMacDonagh MacCarthy, was ordered to discon-tinue construction of the castle by the PrivyCouncil in London after complaints by his neigh-bours that he was building a fortress. Someaccounts note that Dermot, in a fit of rage,smashed building materials and stripped thebuilding. Uncertainty surrounding the extent ofcompletion had been a matter of debate for manyyears, and prompted a stone decay study of thebuilding. In this study, the condition of thestonemasonry of Kanturk was compared withother fortified houses in Co. Cork of similar age,including Mallow Castle, Coppingers Court,Mountlong Castle, and Monkstown Castle.

KanturkCastle

Jason Bolton introduces

Kanturk Castle,

one of Ireland’s largest

fortified houses

31

The study was inconclusive as the Castle,though ruined, has been maintained and con-served for nearly a hundred years by the OPW.However, there was no evidence to support anargument that a sheltering roof had ever been inplace at the castle. The castle lacks any evidencefor wall-walks, triangular gables, and chimneys atroof level common to other castles in Co. Cork,all of which would have been needed to supportthe roof. The interior plasters and exterior ren-ders were also absent, though traces of thesecould be found in all other fortified houses exam-ined in the study. The conclusion of the studywas that construction of the castle probably neverreached the roof, and the building probably fin-ished at a point very similar to that depicted bythe artist Francis Hayman, c. 1740 in his paintingof John, Viscount Perceval, later 2nd Earl ofEgmont, the 18th century owner of the castle.

A follow-on study was carried out in 2005with David Owen of An Taisce, to develop a draftmanagement plan and consider the heritagepotential of a ruined castle in north Cork. TheCastle has been in Trust ownership since 1900and full ownership was transferred to An Taisce,The National Trust for Ireland, in 1988. A man-agement agreement has been in place with theOffice of Public Works since 1966 who act as

guardians and maintain the monument. Kanturkis one of the most well known fortified houses,but draws few visitors, who tend to spend about20 minutes considering the floodlit ruined wallsand read about the history of the site. Thoughthere has been sustained interest in the history,archaeology and architecture of the castle, thesite is not perceived as a catalyst for tourism inthe way Newgrange and the Rock of Cashel are.As a tourism venue, Kanturk Castle has limitedcapacity to draw visitors as it is currently present-ed, and is not linked to other heritage sites in thearea. This was one of the most useful outcomesof the study, to increase awareness of the castle,not as an isolated building, but as part of a widerheritage landscape. The castle stands in theBlackwater Valley, the second longest river inIreland, and the triangle of Mallow, Kanturk andMillstreet was a centre of medieval Gaelic lord-ship in Munster, where local lords and overlordslevied taxes, appointed judges and officials, andmaintained law and order within their territory.There is strong potential to create a GaelicLordship heritage trail linking Kanturk with theother 23 Blackwater castles in the area, whichcould bring the best of the past into the future.

Jason Bolton is an archaeologist who specializes in heritage conservation.

Further information on the Kanturk studies can befound at www.boltonconsultancy.com/kanturk

A painting of John, ViscountPerceval, later 2nd Earl of Egmont,Lord Lovel and Holland by FrancisHayman, R.A., c.1740, depictingKanturk Castle. Courtesy of theNational Gallery of Ireland

the triangle of Mallow, Kanturk andMillstreet was a centre of medieval Gaeliclordship in Munster, where local lords and

overlords levied taxes, appointed judges andofficials, and maintained law and order

within their territory

32

Brackloon – The Story of anIrish Oak WoodBy Deirdre CunninghamFew fragments of our once great native forestresource remain. Extensive clearance for agriculture,exploitation for timber and fuel, and neglect hasresulted in its destruction and decline. BrackloonWood is a surviving remnant of the original woodedlandscape. Although much disturbed, it representsone of the few good examples of Atlantic, semi-nat-ural oak woodland remaining in Ireland. Over thelast decade, Brackloon has been the focus of consid-erable attention, involving environmental monitor-ing, research and management. Brackloon, the Storyof an Irish Oak Wood, chronicles the story of thewood from its beginnings at the end of the last iceage, around 10,000 years ago, right up to the pres-ent day. A wonderful, beautifully illustrated book.

Published by COFORD, National Council forForest Research and Development, 2005.

ISBN 1 902696 39 5

This publication can be ordered directly fromCOFORD online at www.coford.ie (€35 includingP&P)

Oceans – A Visual GuideBy Stephen Hutchinson and Lawrence E.HawkinsOceans contain habitats as different from one anoth-er as rainforest is from desert. In habitats rangingfrom coastline to deepest ocean trench, there lives avast array of marine life – some rare, some bizarre,some of astonishing beauty – that has adapted toextreme and extraordinary conditions.Oceanography, the science of the oceans, is littlemore than a century old, but in that time we havedeveloped ways to scan the sea from space to help usunderstand temperature and currents. We candescend in submersibles to study the geology of theseafloor. This book provides a visual guide to theoceans – their formation and extent; the lifeformsthey support; their value to humans; and the threatsthey face.

Published by The Reader’s Digest Association

ISBN 0 276 42931 1

“BOOKS”

33

Irish Wild Plants – Myths,Legends and FolkloreBy Niall MacCoitirIllustrations by Grania LangrisheThe wild plants of Ireland are bound up in our cul-ture and folklore. They appear in the old IrishBrehon Laws and early nature poetry. Herbal medi-cine was also important. In ancient Ireland therewere 365 different parts to the body, and a differentplant to cure the ailments of each part. So there aremyths, legends and folklore associated with wildplants and flowers in Ireland. A person who carries afour-leaved shamrock will have great luck in gam-bling, while a girl who puts nine ivy leaves under herpillow will dream of her future husband.

Plants are described in seasonal order instead ofbotanically, a fresh perspective bringing us back tothe viewpoint of our ancestors. After the history ofherbs in Ireland, traditional herbal medicine and dif-ferent aspects of plant folklore are examined.Included are their roles in magical protection, theiruse in charms and spells (especially for love!), asemblems in children’s games, in Irish place namesand folklore cures. As with its companion, Irish Trees– Myths, Legends and Folklore, this book is beautiful-ly illustrated with specially commissioned water-colours by Grania Langrishe.

Published by The Collins Press, 2006

ISBN 1 905172 01 X

The Fertile Rock – Seasons inthe BurrenBy Carsten KriegerThe Burren, in County Clare, on Ireland’s westcoast is a most enigmatic landscape – a unique mix-ture of fertile and barren, wild and domestic, visibleand invisible. Stunningly beautiful but threatened, itcaptivates and perplexes and is of inordinate culturalsignificance.

This book takes you on a visual journey through andaround the Burren during the four seasons.Conveying the serene beauty and unique aura of thisancient landscape, images of stunning natural beau-ty tell their own story: the changing face of theBurren from season to season, the rich flora anddiverse fauna, important heritage sites, small detailsof stone and wider panoramic views of the landscape.

While photographs play a key role in expressing thevisual impact of the Burren, this is more than anoth-er photographic book, it is a celebration of the place.For almost three years Carsten Krieger spent an aver-age of three days per week on this project. It becamea central part of his life: waiting for the perfect light,for the wind to die down, for the creatures of theBurren to come into the open, discovering the mostbeautiful and magical places, drinking tea with thelocals. The result: he delivers the essence of his sub-ject in a manner sympathetic to the ever-changingpanorama of weather, tone and light found in thatrich landscape.

Published by The Collins Press, 2006.

ISBN 1 905172 02 8

A Guide to the Identificationof Whales and Dolphins ofIrelandBy Jim Wilson and Simon BerrowThis new identification guide is the first of its kindand provides full colour illustrations and photo-graphs of all whale and dolphin species found in Irishand UK waters. It provides practical information onhow, when and where to go whale and dolphinwatching in Ireland. This is the ideal guide for bothbeginner and experienced whale and dolphin watch-ers. More and more people are becoming interestedin whale and dolphin watching in Ireland. Thisinvaluable guide has all you need to know. Its handysize means you can bring it with you in your pocketor keep it on a boat. It is also an ideal gift for any-one interested in the sea.

Published by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group,2006. Available at €15/£10, including P&P, fromIWDG, Merchant’s Quay, Kilrush, Co. Clare, oronline at www.iwdg.ie

ISBN 0 9540552 2 5

Cork Bird Report 1996-2004by Michael SlavinCompiled and edited by a team of four Cork birdersand covering nine years, the Cork Bird Report1996-2004 details sightings and counts of birdsrecorded in County Cork and includes 16 pages ofcolour photographs and other articles about birdlifein the county. The report also includes stunningillustrations by several local bird artists.

Although the title of the publication is Cork BirdReport, it is much more than just a bird report in thetraditional sense. Of course the main part of thepublication is the systematic list, a huge resource ofdetailed information that can add to the collectiveknowledge on bird distribution and status, andinformation that ultimately should be of enormousvalue to guide conservation management. The inclu-sion of a detailed weather review for the period is aninteresting and important addition, as it helps toprovide background information that can go somedistance to explain why some of the bird observa-tions were made.

The inclusion of a series of articles after theSystematic List adds greatly to the importance of theBird Report. The articles are a nice mix of topics,spanning the spectrum from serious ornithologicalresearch to more impressionistic and personalaccounts of the addiction that bird watching canbecome. The inclusion of very high quality photo-graphs and some beautiful drawings and sketchesadds greatly to the high quality of the report.

To purchase a copy please send a cheque for €23,made payable to Cork Bird Report Editorial Team,to: Cork Bird Report, c/o Cork Ecology, LongStrand, Castlefreke, Clonakilty, Co. Cork. All pro-ceeds will be put towards production costs for the2005 and 2006 report. If you have any bird recordsfor Cork for 2005 and 2006, preferably on excel,please email them to cbr@corkecology.net

ISBN 0 9553547 0 6

These books are supported under the Heritage Council’s Publications Grant Scheme:

34

Ealaín ar oileánAs cheo an fhómhairMar chasóg ghlasNochtann smaragaid Inis OírrAr bhráid gheal na mara.

In ucht na casóigeTá seoid róluachmhar,- teampall snoite ChaomháinI ngréasán na gclathacha.

Fé bhrat na glaiseBrúchtann dhá thobar fhíoruisce,Péarlaí na healaíne is na teanga’Mhúchann tart an phobail.

By Bríd Ní Mhóráin

This poem is reproduced courtesy of Cló Iar-Chonnachta. From the recently pub-lished book, Síolta an Iomais, by Bríd NíMhóráin. Published by Cló Iar-Chonnachta.Price €8. Available from bookshops and fromwww.cic.ie

Letters to the EditorDear Editor,Ted Creedon’s account of the death of Johnde Courcy Ireland’s father (Heritage Outlook,Summer 2006) is interesting both for what itsays and for what it omits. It is as well to fillsome of the gaps.In the first place, Tsingtao was not just a porton which the Germans and the British “hadtheir eyes”. It was a recognised Germancolony leased from the Chinese, albeit at thepoint of a gun, since 1898, at the same timeas the British grabbed Wei-Hai-Wei along thecoast. Economically, Tsingtao’s entrepot trademade it the jewel of the German colonialempire. Why de Courcy was going, apparent-ly alone, to meet with a group of Germanofficers in a German territory during a warwith Germany is an obvious mystery.In his account, John Ireland did not mentionJapan, the strongest east Asian power, aBritish ally and one which had its own plansfor Tsingtao. Germany was in no position todefend its interests in the Pacific againstJapan and Britain combined. All von Speecould do (as he did) was mount marineguerilla actions whilst trying to retreat to thefatherland. Why Britain would bother to tryto reassure Germany “that there would be nofighting between British and German forcesin the Far East and Asia” is another mystery.Finally, as we know, war between Britain andGermany came quickly to Europe, and asquickly, though presumably later, to east Asia.this may be a key to the whole tragedy.A possible scenario would seem to be thatthere was indeed an Anglo-German confer-ence at Tsingtao, presumably about delineat-ing spheres of influence in the currently disin-tegrating Chinese state, that war wasannounced as it took place and that deCourcy was killed resisting an attempt tointern him for the duration. Certainly, thecold-blooded murder described by his sonwould have been publicised by the Britishpropaganda machine, giving it far more legiti-mate data than some it used at that time.It is strange, too, that John de CourcyIreland does not seem to have used hisundoubted talents to research this matter inmore detail.Yours sincerely,D.R. O’Connor Lysaght

Poetry

The editor welcomes your letters.Please send submissions to: The Editor, Heritage Outlook, The Heritage Council, RotheHouse, Parliament St, Kilkenny. Or email: mail@heritagecouncil.ie

35

ACROSS1. And 9 Across. End of an area covered by rocks and glacier-carried debris (8)5. Brown alloy of copper and tin (6)9. See 1 Across (7)10. Interior passage or corridor (7)12. Mud, clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake (4)13. Relating to people mainly from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany (6)14. Former capital of Brazil (3)15. Type of coarse oatmeal or stupid person? (7)18. Female religious (3)19. Wooden pin pushed into a surface (3)21. Ceramic ware made from clay and baked in a kiln (7)22. Source of light and heat for our planet (3)23. Distinctive and pleasant odours (6)24. Kiln for drying hops (4)28. Liquorice-flavouring - used in absinthe (7)29. Structure with roof and walls (7)30. Large entrance rooms and reception areas (6)31. Vanishing Co Clare lake, or blind harpist (8)DOWN1. Burial chambers or graves (5)2. Characteristic of farming and country life (5)3. Widespread plant of ditches, known as ‘Flag’ (4)4. Cutting part of chopping tool - once made of 5 Across? (3-4)6. Megalithic burial mound in the Boyne valley (9)7. History of development, sources of words (9)8. Traditional roof made with plant material (6)11. Supplementary small metal block used to prevent loosening (7)15. Wooden shaft of medieval weapon with a stiff peak (9)16. Person of no influence - a nobody (9)17. Carve, cut or etch into a surface (7)20. She was one of the oldies of medieval legend! (6)21. Relatively flat highlands (7)25. Farewell (5)26. Hard bonelike structures in jaws of vertebrates (5)27. In Co Sligo, Lough ___ beloved of Yeats (4)

To win a book voucherworth €50, please sendyour completed grid, plusname and address, to:

HERITAGE OUTLOOKCrossword Competition,Attention: IsabellThe Heritage Council,Rothe House, ParliamentStreet, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny.Closing date: March 1st 2007

Congratulations to Gerard Kelly, Tulla, Co. Clare,who sent in the winning entry toour last crossword competition.Answers to Crossword No. 6, HeritageOutlook Summer/Autumn 2006:ACROSS: 1. Pods; 3. Spruce; 7. Asp;10. Glamour; 11. Alchemy; 12. Again;13. Glenveagh; 14. Trim; 15. High; 17. Tonic; 20. Rothe; 21. Earl; 22. Scum; 25. Temperate; 28. Rouen;29. Archive; 30. Arsenic; 31. Spa; 32. Castle; 33. Flat.DOWN: 1. Pageant; 2. Dramatist; 4. Peregrine; 5. Usage; 6. Excavate; 7. Arena; 8. Psychic; 9. Moone; 16. Horsetail; 18. Nocturnal; 19. Celeriac; 20. Rituals; 23. Manx Cat; 24. Cross; 26. Mecca; 27. Areas.

Crossword No.7 (compiled by Nóinín)

36

IRISH PEATLAND CONSERVATION COUNCILNOVEMBER-DECEMBER - PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION

Exhibition in ENFO about the Dutch and Irish BogConservation Campaigns. This exhibition looks at bogsin the Netherlands, the threats to their survival andways to conserve them. The aim of the presentation isto increase public awareness of the beauty and unique-ness of bogs. ENFO, 17 St. Andrew Street, Dublin 2.Schools workshops available. Contact ENFO to book inon Tel 01-8883910.

NOVEMBER 25TH - CHRISTMAS FAIR

This IPCC Christmas Fair and Open Day takes place atthe Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore, Rathangan,Co. Kildare, from 10am to 4pm. The Nature Shop at theNature Centre will be selling cards, calendars and gifts.Events will include guided tours of the gardens andhabitats at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre and thePeatlands Museum. Workshop on how to makeChristmas cards, gift boxes and gift tags from recycledmaterials. Funds raised go towards the Save the BogsCampaign. Contact IPCC at 045-860133. Volunteerswelcome. Admission Free.

Notice Board

NEW ENVIRONMENTAL NEWSLETTER FOR CHILDRENNature's Web is a new and exciting newsletter for chil-dren, featuring interesting and informative news onnature and the environment. The latest issue containssuch articles as: Harvest Time; New "Dwarf Planets";High Tides; Bird Life: Owls; Aquatic Life: Barnacles;Animal Life: Itsy Bitsy Spider!; Plant Life: Autumn Fruit;Blackberry and Apple Pie; All in a Day's Work: JohnAkeroyd - Botanist; School Talk: Poems from schoolchildren; Experiments With Nature; Up Close: MarineWorms; and Conservation: Saving Energy in the Home.Edited by Audrey Murphy, Nature's Web is produced bySherkin Island Marine Station, www.sherkinmarine.ie.

See www.naturesweb.ie or for more information,email: editor@naturesweb.ie

37

NATIONAL MUSUEM OF IRELANDWHAT'S IN STORE?

There are now 10,000 extra reasons to visit the NationalMuseum of Ireland - Decorative Arts and History atCollins Barracks. For the first time in the history of theorganization the entire national reserve collections ofsilver, glass and oriental collections as well as a fractionof the Museum's Ceramics collection are on view in thisnew visible storage facility. 'What's in Store?' is abehind-the-scenes Museum experience rather than anexhibition. Special tours of this visible storage facilityare available. Please contact the Education andOutreach Department for further details, at email: education@museum.ie

NOVEMBER 8TH - A GLASS MENAGERIE

The Amazing Legacy of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka -a lecture by Chris Meechan, Scientific Illustrator,Department of Biodiversity and Systematic Biology,National Museum Wales. In connection with the exhibi-tion 'Crystal Creatures: Rare Species in Glass' at theMuseum of Natural History. 6pm to 7pm. Location:Museum of Archaeology, Kildare Street.

NOVEMBER 11TH - VIKING EXHIBITION

Discover the origins of Ireland's largest city on a tour ofour Viking exhibition. 3-4pm. Adult Tour: From Dubhlinnto Dublin. Location: National Museum of Ireland -Archaeology and History, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

NOVEMBER 12TH - SCIENCE WEEK - STONES & BONES

My Museum Family Programme. Get hands on with ani-mals and fossils and rocks older than the earth. A geol-ogist and zoologist will answer questions and identifyyour natural history items. (Age 5+) 3-5pm. Location:Museum of Archaeology, Kildare Street.

NOVEMBER 26TH - DECORATIVE ARTS & HISTORY

Family Tour - Museum of Decorative Arts and History.Free themed tour for family groups. Please note thatplaces are limited and are allocated on a first come,first served, basis. All Ages. 2.30-3.30pm. The NationalMuseum of Ireland - Decorative Arts and History, atCollins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7, is home to awide range of objects which include weaponry, furni-ture, silver, ceramics and glassware, as well as exam-ples of folklife and costume. These exhibitions havebeen designed in innovative and contemporary gal-leries. The Fonthill Vase, a Chinese porcelain vase madeabout 1300 AD, is one of the rarest pieces in the muse-um. The William Smith O' Brien Gold Cup, the EileenGray chrome table and the Lord Chancellor's Mace arealso among the highlights.

NATIONAL MUSUEM OF IRELAND EXHIBITIONS

Clothes from Bogs in Ireland - This exhibition includesa number of woolen garments dating to the 16th and17th centuries that have been recovered from bogs inIreland and have recently been conserved in theMuseum's Conservation Department.

Clothing from ancient times is rarely found, as textilesnormally decay quickly. However, the anaerobic andacidic environmental conditions found in peat bogs helpto preserve wool fibres. The garments displayed includea woolen suit, consisting of a coat, trews (or trousers),a cloak and a pair of leather shoes, found on a man'sbody in a bog in 1824 near Killery, Co. Sligo. A dressconsisting of a bodice, skirt and sleeves, found in 1843in a bog near Shinrone, Co. Offaly. A wool cap fromGortmahonoge, Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary which wasdiscovered with a suit of clothing in a bog in 1946 anda knitted cap from Ballybunnion, Co. Kerry which wasdiscovered in 1847.

Temporary Exhbition. Location: The Treasury, GroundFloor, Museum of Archaeology and History, KildareStreet, Dublin 2.

For more information, please see the Museum's Eventssection, at www.museum.ie

Notice Board

38

ENFO TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONSENFO has 31 exhibitions, covering a wide range of envi-ronmental topics which are available to loan (free ofcharge) to venues around Ireland, including:

IRISH WILDLIFE - a photographic exhibition of Irishbirds, mammals and insects in their native habitats;

INTERESTING INSECTS - Ireland's wide range of habi-tats provide homes to a considerable variety of insects.Interesting Insects is a photographic exhibition whichdisplays the beauty and splendour of some of thesesmall creatures;

SEALS - THE ENCHANTED PEOPLE - an exhibition ofadults and children of all ages examining the interactionof Seals and Humans;

PRACTICAL WOODLAND ECOLOGY - an exhibition cele-brating 20 years of practical woodland conservationgroup 'GroundWork'. The exhibition highlights the workof the volunteers, the problems with rhododendronwithin the native Irish Oak woodlands and how every-one can help;

MAKING THE MOST OF MATERIALS - an exhibitionhighlighting an Ecological Perspective on WasteManagement. Aristic panels show you how to make themost of materials;

CHOICES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING - the exhibitionhighlights the concept of sustainable development anddemonstrates the scope for the making of choices forsustainability in everyday living at work, home or duringleisure periods;

RIVER CATCHMENT ROADSHOW - a creative exhibitionabout the importance of water conservation and protec-tion. It shows how people conserve and protect water,thus helping to protect river catchments. Handpaintedand using natural eco-products, the exhibition willinspire viewers to change the way they use water intheir daily lives.

This is just a small selection of the exhibitions on offer.To find out more, see www.enfo.ie Telephone: + 353(0) 1 888 2001 or 1890 200 191. Email: info@enfo.ie

CRANN CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARYCrann celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 5th2006, World Environment Day, with a public exhibitionentitled “The Local Project: Revisited 2006”. Over theyears, Ireland has continuously imported tropical hard-woods from third world countries, contributing to thecauses of famine. On June 5th 1986, CRANN was setup by Jan Alexander, former President of Crann, toreverse this trend and to raise awareness of the impor-tance of a sustainable home-grown hardwood forestryto meet Ireland's timber needs.

Two booklets have been published by Crann as part ofan active campaign to alert the public to the threats thatdevelopment poses: CRANN's ABC of Planting Treesand CRANN's ABC of Trees, Hedgerows andDevelopment. CRANN's mission statement is to re-leafIreland with broadleaf trees. CRANN is an Irish non-governmental (NGO), non-profit organisation withbranches nationwide. For more information on CRANNor to order publications, please see www.crann.ie

Notice Board

39

Carlow: VacantCarlow County CouncilCounty BuildingsAthy Road, CarlowTel. 059-9136201/ 059-9170300 email: heritageofficer@carlowcoco.ie

Cavan: Ann Marie WardCavan County Council,Cana House, FarnhamStreet, CavanTel. 049-4372561 email:amcurley@cavancoco.ie

Cork: Sharon CaseyHeritage UnitCork County CouncilMillview HouseVictoria Road, Cork021-4818006 email:sharon.casey@corkcoco.ie

Cork City: NiamhTwomeyCork City Council, City Hall, CorkTel. 021-4924018 email:niamh_twomey@corkcity.ie

Clare: Conjella McGuireClare County CouncilNew Road, Ennis, Co ClareTel. 065-6846408email: cmcguire@clarecoco.ie

Dublin City: Donncha O’DulaingDublin City CouncilPlanning & DevelopmentDepartmentBlock 3 Floor 3Civic Offices, Wood QuayDublin 8. Tel. 01-222 3184email:donncha.odulaing@dublincity.ie

Donegal: Joe GallagherDonegal County CouncilStation Island, LiffordCo DonegalTel. 074-9172576 email:j.gallagher@donegalcoco.ie

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown:Tim CareyDun Laoghaire RathdownCounty CouncilCounty Hall, Dun LaoghaireCounty DublinTel. 01-2054868email: tcarey@dlrcoco.ie

Fingal: Gerry ClabbyFingal County CouncilPO Box 174, County Hall Swords, Co DublinTel. 01-8905697 email:gerryclabby@fingalcoco.ie

Galway City: Jim HigginsGalway City CouncilCity Hall, College RoadGalwayTel. 091-526574 Ext. 547email: jim.higgins@galwaycity.ie

Galway County:Marie MannionGalway County CouncilForward Planning SectionCounty Hall, Prospect HillGalway Tel. 091-509000Ext. 198 email: mmannion@galwaycoco.ie

Kerry: Una CosgraveKerry County CouncilAras an ChontaeTralee, Co KerryTel. 066-7121111 email: una.cosgrave@kerrycoco.ie

Kildare: Bridget LoughlinKildare County CouncilSt Mary’s, Naas, Co KildareTel. 045-873829 Ext. 3217email: Bloughlin@kildarecoco.ie

Kilkenny:Dearbhala LedwidgeKilkenny County CouncilCounty Hall, John StreetKilkennyTel. 056-7794126email: dearbhala.ledwidge@kilkennycoco.ie

Laois: Catherine CaseyLaois County CouncilÁras an ChontaePortlaoise, Co LaoisTel. 0502-74348email: ccasey@laoiscoco.ie

Limerick: Tom O’NeillLimerick County CouncilCounty Buildings79/84 O’Connell StreetLimerick Tel. 061-496000 email:toneill@limerickcoco.ie

Longford: Lise McDanielLongford County CouncilÁras an ChontaeGreat Water StreetLongford, Co. LongfordTel. 043-40731email: lhenry@longfordcoco.ie

Louth: Brendan McSherryLouth County Council,County Hall, MillenniumCentre, Dundalk, Co LouthTel. 042-9324109 email:brendan.mcsherry@louthcoco.ie

Mayo: Deirdre CunninghamMayo County CouncilÁras an ChontaeCastlebar, Co MayoTel. 094-9047696 email:dcunningham@mayococo.ie

Meath: Loretto GuinanMeath County CouncilCounty HallNavan, Co MeathTel. 046-9097404email: lguinan@meathcoco.ie

Monaghan: Shirley ClerkinMonaghan County Council,County Offices, MonaghanTel. 047-38140 Ext. 312email: sclerkin@monaghancoco.ie

North Tipperary:Siobhan GeraghtyNorth Tipperary CountyCouncil, Civic Offices,Limerick Rd, Nenagh Tel. 067-44587 email: sgeraghty@northtippcoco.ie

Offaly: Amanda PedlowOffaly County CouncilCharleville RdTullamore, Co OffalyTel. 0506-46839email:apedlow@offalycoco.ie

Roscommon: Nollaig McKeonRoscommon CountyCouncil CourthouseRoscommonTel. 090-6637100email: nmckeon@roscommoncoco.ie

Sligo: Siobhan RyanSligo County CouncilRiverside. SligoTel. 071-9157444/3email: sryan@sligococo.ieor heritage@sligococo.ie

Waterford: Dominic BerridgeWaterford County CouncilCivic Offices, DungarvanCo WaterfordTel. 058-21199 email: dberridge@waterfordcoco.ie

Wicklow: Deirdre BurnsWicklow County CouncilCounty BuildingsWicklowTel. 0404-20100 email:dburns@wicklowcoco.ie

Westmeath: Bernie GuestWestmeath County CouncilCounty Buildings, MullingarCo WestmeathTel. 044-32077email: bguest@westmeathcoco.ie

Anne BarcoeP.A. to Chief Executive and Chairperson

Ian DoyleArchaeologistPaula Drohan

Financial ControllerAlison HarveyPlanning OfficerBeatrice Kelly

Inland Waterways/Marine OfficerDr Liam Lysaght

EcologistDr. Hugh Maguire

Museums and Archives OfficerMartina Malone

Secretarial SupportColm Murray

Architect

Amanda Ryan Grents Administrator

Liam Scott Human Resources Manager

Isabell SmythCommunications and Education Officer

Michael StarrettChief Executive

Heritage Council staff can be contactedat: The Heritage Council,

Rothe House, Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny

Tel. 056-7770777 Fax. 056-7770788Email: mail@heritagecouncil.com

www.heritagecouncil.ie

What is Heritage?Under the National Heritage Act

(1995), ‘heritage’ is defined as includingthe following areas:

- Monuments

- Archaeological Objects

- Heritage Objects

- Architectural heritage

- Flora and Fauna

- Wildlife Habitats - Landscapes

- Seascapes and Wrecks - Geology

- Heritage Gardens and Parks

- Inland Waterways

HERITAGE COUNCIL STAFF

LOCAL AUTHORITY HERITAGE OFFICERS