New Heritage Council education programme will emphasise vital role of peatlands in battle against climate change and biodiversity loss
On behalf of the owner of Newtown Jerpoint and Kilkenny County Council, in partnership with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Office of Public Works, the Heritage Council commissioned Oxford Archaeology to produce a Conservation Plan for the site of Newtown Jerpoint, County Kilkenny.
Read moreRead lessNewtown is a deserted medieval town, dating back to c. AD 1200, when it was founded near a crossing point on the River Nore not far from Thomastown and the Cistercian Abbey of Jerpoint. The site contains the standing remains of St Nicholas’ Church and a domestic tower, both of which are partly overgrown and tending towards dilapidation. The site also contains the well-preserved outlines of burgage plots, some of which contain the remains of house platforms which have survived despite clearing works on the site in the 19th century
On behalf of Kilkenny Borough Council, Dúchas and An Taisce, Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by The Heritage Council to produce a conservation plan for the City Walls of Kilkenny.
Read moreRead lessIt is anticipated that the Conservation Plan will be of use for:
• Improving local understanding of the walls and their significance
• Promotion of the recognition and protection of the walls
• Encouragement of management schemes for effective maintenance
• Guidance for repairs and conservation
• Protection of the setting from adjacent developments
• Improving access to the walls.
In addition, the Conservation Plan will consolidate the extensive documentation relating to the City Walls found in local records, historical mapping and national documents. The data can then be disseminated in a manageable form, from which the policies for protection and preservation can be developed.
The recommendations contained in this policy paper set out how a National Biological Records Centre could be established, and identifies the resources needed.
Read moreRead lessThe National Biodiversity Data Centre was established subsequent to the publication of this paper. The centre ensures that the existing information is managed effectively, it makes information more readily available to all interested parties, and stimulates interest in Ireland’s rich natural heritage.
This report presents the findings of a use case analysis and economic value study for a national landcover and habitat mapping programme for Ireland, carried out in 2016.
8 Museums have been awarded full accreditation under the Heritage Council's Museum Standards Programme for Ireland at a ceremony in Kilkenny Castle.
Kilkenny County Councils Heritage Office and Planning Section have commissioned a photographic audit of a number of shopfronts in Kilkenny City
Applications have opened for The All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme, a course which aims to preserve heritage building skills that are at risk of being lost by supporting those already working in the construction sector to push their skills to the next level.
A pilot partnership project with Library Services nationwide to make available Ecological Recording Equipment to the public.
The pilot has now ended, but kits will remain available for use in the County Libraries listed below.