Launch - Roscommon Heritage Plan 2012-2016
The second heritage plan for County Roscommon was recently launched by Heritage Council member and NUI Galway archaeology lecturer Dr. Kieran O’Conor in the Roscommon County Library. The aim of the County Roscommon Heritage Plan is to create and promote an increased knowledge, awareness and appreciation of the natural, built and cultural heritage of County Roscommon, and to conserve it for future generations, in other words: notice – care – enjoy.
The five year plan was prepared following extensive public consultation and the aim of the plan can be best summed up under the tag line of notice, care, enjoy. The Heritage Plan incorporates the Roscommon Biodiversity Action Plan. The plan will implement actions relating to built, natural and cultural heritage under three objectives: to collect and disseminate heritage information - ‘notice’; to promote best practice in heritage conservation and management - ‘care’, and to raise awareness of our heritage - ‘enjoy’.
As set out under the National Heritage Plan (2002), Roscommon County Council established County Roscommon Heritage Forum back in 2003 to oversee the preparation and implementation of the first County Roscommon Heritage Plan and to oversee the preparation of the new Heritage Plan. To coincide with the launch of the new Heritage Plan membership of the Heritage Forum is currently being reviewed. ‘I pay tribute to Cllr. Tom Crosby and all the members of the County Roscommon Heritage Forum who played such an important role in implementing the first county Heritage Plan. I look forward to working with the Heritage Forum to implement actions from the Heritage Plan including biodiversity actions which form the long awaited County Roscommon Biodiversity Action Plan’, said Nollaig Feeney, Roscommon County Council Heritage Officer.
Roscommon’s heritage has a value that is both economic and inspirational. ‘There is great support for all aspect of heritage in Co. Roscommon. This was evident through out the implementation of the first Heritage Plan where projects, events and publications produced as a result of the Heritage Plan were well supported and very positively welcomed by individuals, schools, organisations and community groups all around the county, as such I look forward to the implementation of the new Heritage Plan’, said Nollaig Feeney.
Roscommon County Council and the Heritage Council support the implementation of the Heritage Plan. Nationally, a €6.15m investment by the Heritage Council in County Heritage Plans (2004-2008) supported the creation of 1,012 full time jobs in small business, with an estimated return of €30.1m to the economy, leading to an additional investment of around €10m from other sources. This investment in our heritage enables and encourages all partners in the implementation of the County Roscommon Heritage Plan 2012-2016 to invest in, and realize the potential of our national heritage to contribute to economic and social recovery.
Copies of the County Roscommon Heritage Plan 2012-2016 are available from Roscommon County Council Customer Service, The Courthouse, Roscommon, phone: 090 6632500, email: customerservice@roscommoncoco.ie
Download a copy of the plan here [PDF 3MB].
Download a copy of the press release here [PDF 67KB].
Any queries, please contact Nollaig Feeney, Heritage Officer 090 6637135 nfeeney@roscommoncoco.ie