In November 2008, the Heritage Council hosted a seminar to progress the work of its Shannon Waterway Corridor Study and to explore ways for all agencies involved in management of the

River Shannon to work together. You can download copies of the presentations delivered at the seminar below. Summaries of the presentations are provided in this document.

In this issue:

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN IRELAND
exploring our unimagined heritage

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

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

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

Developed from its statutory functions, shared vision and core principles, it is proposed to place all
Council’s work within the following five strategic themes. Each of the themes has a specific high-level target with policies and actions identified to achieve the target. These actions will form the essence of Council’s detailed work programme during the period 2007-2011.
The five strategic themes are:

1: Raising Awareness and Appreciation
2:Heritage Research / Surveys, Analysis and Evaluation
3: Evidence-Based Policy Advice
4: Encourage the development of heritage infrastructure at national, regional, county and local level.
5: Best practice in Conservation and Sustainable Heritage Management

The objective of the audit was to ascertain the following:
• The location of maritime and inland waterways collections in Ireland
• An overview of what is contained in each collection
• An indication, where practical, of the condition of each collection
• An indication, where practical, of the conditions in which each collection is stored
• Whether the collections also contain paper records (archives, plans, charts and maps, photographs and drawings)
• Ownership of each collection

Further to its Audit of Maritime Collections and in support of its Museums Standards Programme for Ireland, the Heritage Council hosted a one-day seminar on the Future of Maritime and Inland
Waterways Collections in Ireland.

A selection of conservators, collectors, museum curators, and practitioners discussed the following themes:
• Maritime and Inland Waterway Collections are an intrinsic part of the Ireland’s heritage
• How can such collections be safeguarded in all their variety and number?
• How can decisions be made on what to retain?
• How can we move ahead to ensure a range of collections reflecting this important aspect of
our heritage?

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.

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.

Seaweed is one of Ireland’s least-used resources. As an island with a 7,000 kilometre coastline, located in the warm and fertile waters of the Gulf Stream, we have an abundance of many
different kinds of seaweed. Although we currently use only a small fraction of Irish seaweed, this situation is changing. 

Attention is turning to the sea as a source of food, energy, and raw material for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Ireland’s interesting history of harvesting seaweed is about to
begin a new chapter.

The importance of ecologically friendly management of areas in or around towns or villages is recognised in a number of competitions, awards and grants, including the Heritage Council Wildlife and Local Heritage Grants and the Tidy Towns Competition, organised by the
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government .If your community group is interested in applying for or participating in either these or similar grants or competitions, this guide will be of relevance to you.