TaraWatch is calling on the public, around the world, to make submissions to an advisory group that has been set up by the Irish Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to review the current list of potential UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland, known as the Tentative List (of potential nominees as World Heritage Sites). The Irish Government is currently building the M3 motorway through the heart of the archaeological complex associated with the Hill of Tara, in County Meath, at the same time that it is proposing to nominate Tara to Ireland's Tentative List. We are asking members of the public to sign our petition and to make submissions, before Friday, January 30th, 2009. Email your submission to worldheritagetentativelist@environ.ie
Our position is that:
- The Hill of Tara complex qualifies for World Heritage status as a natural and cultural landscape of outstanding universal value, due to its unique cultural significance, and the extent of the surviving remains. Tara covers a much larger area than that the 100 acres of State-owned land on the summit of the Hill, which currently delimits the 'national monument'. The M3 passes through the middle of the area to be protected.
- The entire Tara archaeological complex and cultural/natural landscape should be declared a World Heritage site. Expert bodies such as the World Monuments Fund, the Heritage Council, have recognised Tara consists of the entire Hill of Tara along with the Tara / Skryne valley, as well as the defensive forts that encircle the hill, including national monuments such as the defensive forts of Rath Lugh (to the east), Rath Miles (to the north) and Ringlestown Rath (to the west), and have called for the re-routing of the M3.
-The M3 motorway, due to open in 2010, should be re-routed outside of the Tara complex, before the site is given UNESCO World Heritage Protection. It would be a breach of the World Heritage Convention for UNESCO to inscribe the site, with the M3 passing through it. This is confirmed by the fact that Tara was placed on the World Monuments Fund, 2008-2010 List of 100 Most Endangered Sites
World Heritage Sites list to be reviewed
The Irish Times - Monday December 1 2008
AN EXPERT advisory group has been set up by Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley to review the current list of potential World Heritage Sites in Ireland, known as the Tentative List (of potential nominees as World Heritage Sites). They are to submit a new Tentative List to him by spring of next year. The existing Tentative List of proposed sites dates back to 1992.
At present Ireland has two World Heritage Sites inscribed on the prestigious World Heritage List. Brú Na Bóinne in Co Meath was inscribed in 1993 and Skellig Michael, Co Kerry in 1996. Ireland ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1991 and undertook the responsibility of protecting and conserving both national and international world heritage sites, and of maintaining a Tentative List of potential sites for World Heritage Site nomination. It also undertook to nominate national heritage sites on this list to the World Heritage Committee for World Heritage listing.
As part of the public consultation process prior to preparing the Tentative List, interested parties and individuals are invited to request a copy of the current Tentative List and World Heritage Status. It is available from the department as guidance to people in making submissions on proposed sites for inclusion on Ireland's Tentative List of potential nominees as World Heritage Sites. These must have unique outstanding universal value and not just be of value in an Irish context.
Details www.environ.ie submissions by Friday January 30th.
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government - Press Release
'Ireland's World Heritage - Review of Tentative List'
1 December 2008
Mr. John Gormley, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has today (1 December 2008) initiated a review of Ireland’s Tentative List of potential sites for World Heritage Site nomination. He has established an Expert Advisory Group to carry out a review of the current Tentative List and to draw up a new draft list for submission to him in Spring 2009. The existing Tentative List dates back to 1992.
Ireland ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1991 and undertook the responsibility of protecting and conserving both national and international world heritage, of maintaining a Tentative List of potential sites for World Heritage Site nomination and nominating national heritage sites cultural, natural and mixed from this list to the World Heritage Committee for World Heritage Listing.
At the present time Ireland has two World Heritage Sites inscribed on the prestigious World Heritage List. Brú Na Bóinne in County Meath was inscribed in 1993 and Skellig Michael, County Kerry in 1996.
As part of the Tentative List public consultation process, interested parties and individuals are invited to request a copy of Tentative List and World Heritage Status - a guidance document which is available from the Department to enable them to make submissions on sites to be included on Ireland’s Tentative List of potential nominees as World Heritage Sites. The guidance document includes details on UNESCO World Heritage criteria, a definition of what constitutes Outstanding Universal Value in a World Heritage context, an explanation of authenticity, integrity and significance on a global basis. The guidance document and formal proposal forms are available from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (details supplied below) and are also downloadable from the World Heritage Section of the Department’s website on www.environ.ie.
Those making submissions are requested to take note, in particular, of the following:
in order for a site to be successfully inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List it must have unique Outstanding Universal Value and not just be of value in an Irish context; and
sites nominated for inclusion on the Tentative List should ideally be on the Record of Monuments and Places or on a local authority Record of Protected Structures or within a Special Area of Conservation or Special Protection Area etc.
Interested parties and individuals are invited to make written submissions, no later than Friday 30 January 2009. The Department is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information legislation and submissions received may have to be released into the public domain, should they later become the subject of a Freedom of Information Request. Submissions should only be made on the formal application form and may be returned by post or email to:
Heritage Policy and Architectural Protection Section,
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
1, Ardcavan Business Park,
Ardcavan,
County Wexford.
Telephone :01-8883061
E-mail: worldheritagetentativelist@environ.ie
Additional information on the membership of the Expert Advisory Group, it’s terms of reference, the Tentative List Review Process, Ireland’s current Tentative List, UNESCO’s World Heritage Operational Guidelines and Criteria and Management Plans for the two current world heritage sites may be accessed in the World Heritage Section of the Department’s website
www.environ.ie. More detailed information on UNESCO World Heritage may be accessed on www.unesco.org.
For further details visit the website: http://www.environ.ie/en/Heritage/WorldHeritage/
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