Publications & Reports

The VDS was produced through an extensive community consultation programme combined with desk-based study. This included an introductory meeting with community members, distribution of a key issues leaflet and questionnaires, and a series of workshops involving a wide cross section of the community including adults, children, and young people. Over 60 questionnaires were completed and over 75 people attended the main workshop.

Historic graveyards are very different in their character from modern cemeteries that are often described as ‘Lawn Cemeteries’. The latter are usually laid out in neat rectangular burial plots that are accessed by a network of pathways. In these modern cemeteries the surface of the ground is level and has the appearance of a lawn because the cemetery has not been used as a burial place over many centuries. The opposite is true for historic graveyards some of which have been used as burial grounds for over a millennium.

In terms of its constituent sectors, archaeology could now be regarded predominantly as a business domain which operates in a competitive economic climate and focuses on generating information. This situation is radically different from the previous dominance of employment in the
State and education sectors with the clear focus on research which characterised earlier decades.

In response to these markedly changed circumstances and the consequential impact of new problems and challenges, a Foresight Study, leading to the production of this report, was initiated in 2004 by the UCD School of Archaeology, University College Dublin.

Ireland has five indigenous jellyfish species: Barrel, Blue, Common (Moon), Compass, and Lion’s Mane. A sixth species (Pelagia noctiluca) also occurs, but as it is an oceanic species it only occasionally makes an appearance in our coastal waters. Contrary to what you may think, jellyfish are not carried at the whim of ocean currents and tides on to our beaches. Many jellyfish maintain their positions by swimming down when the tide is going out, and swimming up when the tide is coming in. In this way they can stay in their preferred habitats.

Ireland’s island story is written on its seashore. About ten thousand years ago, our first human
settlers – hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic era - came here by boat. Since then, people have
lived, worked, travelled and buried their dead around Ireland’s coastal landscapes - using the
sea as a source of food, raw materials, as a means of travel and communications and as a place
to build communities.

Report on the activities of the Heritage Council including financial statements for 2006.

The study involved review and evaluation of the LCAs in the context of the original objectives of the LCA programme, as set out in the (then) Department of the Environment and Local Government consultation draft Landscape and Landscape Assessment Guidelines. The evaluation also considered how the LCA programme in Ireland measures up to good practice in LCA elsewhere in Europe. Telephone consultations, with those involved in the preparation and use of the LCAs and with a range of national bodies, explored the ways in which LCA has been applied, and the influence that it has had on decision-making in relation to development and management of the landscape in Ireland. Case studies of LCA elsewhere in Europe were also undertaken to identify any useful lessons and pitfalls.

The island of Ireland has a long and complex coastline in relation to its land area. This interface between land and sea contains some of the finest parts of our natural and man-made heritage. The natural heritage includes rocks, marine and coastal habitats and marine life, including plankton, shellfish, fish, seabirds, whales and seals. Our human heritage is rich and varied including coastal and island communities, traditional boats, historical fishing methods, shipwrecks, and coastal archaeology.

Archaeological monuments such as moated sites and ringforts are the former homesteads of previous farming communities. Farming has been a vital force in developing our heritage and modern non-intrusive farming practices continue to preserve and shape our historic landscapes. This valuable legacy is something we should try to understand, cherish and protect for ourselves and for future generations.

A primary recommendation is the need for a cohesive strategy for the sustainable use and

development of marine and coastal areas, one which identifies important heritage features
and provides for their long-term protection. The strategy should be based on a comprehensive
review of relevant policies and measures currently in place and their efficacy to date and include
a management framework for environmental protection and management. Importantly, this
strategy should also be supported by a campaign to raise awareness and improve education
regarding maritime heritage.