Heritage Services

The Heritage Officer Programme

The Heritage Officer Programme provides a professional, co-ordinated and strategic heritage service at City and County level. Heritage Officers influence the policies and activities of Local Authorities who are themselves the primary influencers on heritage at local level.

The Heritage Council has developed a network of twenty-eight Heritage Officers who are employed in Local Authorities with financial and technical support from the Heritage Council.

Heritage can only prosper when it has the support of local communities and local authorities. Heritage Officers are fundamental in ensuring support for heritage activities and organisations at local level. The Heritage Officer Programme provides for a great deal of flexibility with regard to the specific heritage needs and requirements of individual local authorities.

For a list of County Heritage Officers and other officers such as Field Monument Advisors, Biodiverstiy and Conservation Officers working in heritage at a local level see the County Heritage Services Contacts page

Heritage Officer Programme

The Heritage Officer Programme Celebrates 10 years

In 1999, the Heritage Council, in partnership with Galway City Council, Kerry and Sligo County Councils, established a threeyear pilot Heritage Officer programme which sought to place heritage expertise within local authorities. The Heritage Council recognised that local authorities are strategically placed to encourage, guide and support heritage management at local level and in essence they have opportunities to shape and showcase the heritage strengths and identity of the city or county in which they operate.

The Heritage Officer programme is supported by Government policy through the National Heritage Plan and the National Biodiversity Plan. There has been a dramatic change over the last 10 years in the legislative environment in which local authorities operate. Compliance with international, European and national legislation, as it relates to the conservation and protection of habitats, bird and animal species, archaeology and built heritage, impacts on most work programmes within a local authority. Coupled with new requirements for Strategic Environmental Appraisal, Appropriate Assessment and the forthcoming Environmental Liability Directive, the real benefit of having heritage expertise at local level to address these issues and support the local authority in delivering services to the wider community is paying dividends.

Building on Success

The initial three-year pilot programme was extremely successful and the Heritage Council actively sought further partnerships with local authorities across Ireland, and today there are 28 Heritage Officers in post.

The role of Heritage Officer has developed significantly over the last 10 years, with the service reflecting local issues and priorities and also the professional strengths of the HeritageOfficer. The remit of the post is also influenced by whether there are additional heritage professionals within the Local Authority, such as Conservation Officers, County or City Archaeologists or Biodiversity Officers.

Some local authorities have recognised that with additional legislative requirements specialisations have been required to complement the role of Heritage officer. This has seen the formation of ‘Heritage Units’ within local authorities, staffed by Heritage Officers, Biodiversity officers, Conservation officers and Archaeologists.

There is great variety in the projects supported by Heritage Officers across the country, which reflects how much work is required in knowing, valuing and caring for Ireland’s heritage resource in all its aspects. Over the years Heritage Officers have been involved in a myriad projects including policy formation, survey work, development control and forward planning, capital works, biodiversity enhancement and allocation of heritage grants, awards and bursaries. Sourcing of funding and facilitating partner groups and organisations is a constant underlying theme.

Common Threads

For all the variety, there are a series of common threads that frame the Heritage Officer’s role and work programme. Project work carried out by Heritage Officers is strategically driven by City and County Heritage Plans and, where applicable, Local Biodiversity Action Plans.

While 50-60% of the Heritage Officer’s time can be allocated to the delivery of the Heritage Plan, increasingly significant amounts of time are devoted to assisting and advising the local authority on the heritage implications of current andfuture policies and work programmes. In carrying out this work, Heritage Officers provide professional heritage advice across different departments within local authorities. Common work areas include County Development Plans, Functional Area Plans, Local Area Plans, as well as assisting with devising other land use policies, i.e. wind farm policy, village design statements, landscape character assessments. Data collection is a significant area of work that varies from collecting existing datasets to commissioning new survey work. It is a role that is becoming increasingly important with EU Directives requiring baseline heritage data for EIA, SEA and Appropriate Assessment. Heritage Officers have a key strategic role in advising on local authority plans, policies and programmes; essentially it is a role that seeks to manage change in a sustainable way in the natural and historic environment.

Connecting People and Heritage

Promoting interest, pride in and understanding of our national heritage is a key facet of the Heritage Officer’s role. Education is a constant theme, both within the local authority with regard to new legislation, guidelines and directives and also general heritage awareness – in schools, community groups and individuals. The Heritage Officer provides a key point of contact and information for heritage issues. The appointment of Heritage Officers has allowed improved connectivity and dialogue around heritage issues between local authorities and the heritage services within the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and other government departments.

A Vision for the Future

Over the past 10 years the need for heritage expertise within Local authorities has grown, the legislative framework for theprotection of the environment and heritage has become more complex, the Heritage Officer’s workload has increased exponentially since the first appointment in 1999. The long-term sustainability of the role without the assistance of additional heritage professionals in many counties needs to be assessed. In 2000, 12 heritage projects were run through the local authority heritage offices. In 2009, in excess of 300 projects will be managed through the heritage offices, in addition to policy and advice work.

Challenging times face us all in balancing economic and heritage management. The tenacity of the Heritage Officers over the past 10 years has proven that they are able for the challenge and are an extremely adaptable professional resource within the local authorities. When we look back at the post in 2019 we hope to be reviewing the development of the Heritage Departments within the local authorities and celebrating the first Heritage Officer to make it to County Manager!

PROFILE: Jim Higgins, Heritage Officer, Galway City

As the first Heritage Officer appointed to the State, in 1999, I am delighted that the Heritage Officer Scheme has been so successful. The way the job has evolved over the last 10 years has been a different experience for us all. While some of us are positioned in the Planning Sections and others in the Environment Sections, and this has an influence on how we work, the main focus is being able to get our message across both within the local authority and to the public.

In Galway City I initially had responsibility for the old Galway City Museum along with work now associated with the Conservation Officer’s role as well as the strictly Heritage Officer role. The role has evolved over time, with a concentration in recent years on built natural and cultural heritage. Biodiversity has also taken a front seat recently and I have been glad to be able to work jointly with Stephen Walsh of the Parks Section on Biodiversity and Ecology related projects on Barna Woods (2007-8) and Merlin Park Woods (2009-10).

Cultural heritage has also been part of my working day and my involvement in An Coiste Loganamnacha/Placenames Committee and various joint efforts with Gaillimh Le Gaeilge, which promotes the use of the language around the city, has been most rewarding. There are so many worthy projects that it is difficult to select just a few to highlight. Mutton Island Lighthouse has been ongoing for a few years now and we hope to complete the works in 2010. Conservation works and archaeological digs we have carried out at Merlin Park Castle and Terryland Castle have provided an endless source of interest and it is hoped to develop an Archaeological Summer School around the castle at Terryland in the near future. Keeping the public informed through guided tours, exhibitions and publications has always been a priority. We have published three museum catalogues and have also done joint publications with Marie Mannion in Galway County Council including an Ecclesiastical Heritage Trail and a guide to the birds of the city and county. Since 2002 we have also published Galway’s Heritage/Oidhreacht na Gaillimhe which will see its 20th volume in Spring/Summer 2009. The Lough Atalia project for the Palaeobotanical study by Karen Molloy will be published in book form in 2009 and a number of studies on the archaeology, geology and industrial heritage of the Lough Atalia area will be published alongside the palaeoenvimental study.

A folklore scheme which involved putting old taped interviews about life in Galway onto disc is one of the projects that will be Completed this year. The publication of the Record of Protected Structures for Galway City in 2007 was a major development, but the small grants administered for the Local Heritage Projects – for surfacing paths in a local historic cemetery, or for an Old Galway Society lecture series – were just as important and as pleasurable to give as much larger grants, for Protected Structures for instance, because heritage was being helped and efforts were being recognised on a micro-level.

Providing advice on new projects and developments is part of the day-to-day job and the enjoyment gained from working with colleagues in the Planning, Environment, Parks, Arts, Roads and Infrastructure Sections has been rewarding. Being involved in discussions with developers has been full of new insights and interaction with councillors and members of the public and heritage groups has also provided much enjoyment. Working with schools has been very rewarding. I can honestly say there is more interest in and a wider appreciation of heritage now than there was when I became the first of the Heritage Officer ‘Pilot Scheme’ in 1999. Interest is spread right across built, cultural, archaeological and natural heritage.

Apart from the projects completed, the work satisfaction enjoyed and the contacts made, the Heritage Officer role has enriched the lives of many, and great credit is due to the Heritage Council, the dedicated Heritage Officers, as well as the local authorities who have signed up to making heritage relevant, part of development and a part of the everyday life of Ireland’s citizens.