Preserve our Built Heritage

The Wexford Local Association held a work party at Corlican Graveyard to tidy it up and repair the gate. On the same day the Wexford Opera Festival did a tour of the graveyard which 30 people attended including the curator of Johnstown Castle Museum, the Chair of the Wexford Historical Society and a number of Quakers with connections to Corlican. Brian Rickwood gave a lecture.

On Friday of last week (27th August) An Taisce wrote to Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Arts Heritage and Gaeltacht, during Heritage Week 2015 seeking a Preservation Order on a Bronze Age archaeological discovery of trackways (toghers) at Mayne Bog Co Westmeath, these are dated 800-1,200 BC.

Minister Humphreys’ Deptartment fails to act

While Irish heritage is being celebrated and promoted this week, the destruction of a major archaeological monument, a major timber-built road of European significance at Mayne Bog, Coole, County Westmeath is continuing.

Although the National Monuments Service (NMS, the responsibility of Minister Heather Humphreys) has known since 2005 about the existence of the monument, they have failed to act to preserve it.

Last week, An Taisce The National Trust for Ireland wrote to Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Arts Heritage and Gaeltacht, with queries on the proposed accommodation of another round of filming of Star Wars on Skellig Michael. The first round of filming, last year was facilitated in breach of long established conservation policy for the World Heritage Site.

Ian Lumley, Heritage Office with An Taisce stated