Priceless But Worthless - The Preservation of Archaeological Monuments on Privately Owned Land in Ireland

The purpose of this research is to identify the threats to archaeological monuments on privately owned land in Ireland, i.e. why and how monuments are being damaged or destroyed, and to find solutions to this problem that will satisfy the needs of both archaeologists and landowners alike. The methods used to address these issues include a remote survey of archaeological monuments in a research area in Co. Clare, qualitative interviews with landowners, IFA representatives and an archaeologist and a review of similar surveys on the preservation of monuments in Ireland, England and Northern Ireland. The results of all of the methods used in this research identified earthwork monuments, and especially ringforts, as the monuments that have been damaged the most on privately owned land in Ireland. To effectively prevent future damage from being caused to monuments on privately owned land, several solutions will need to be implemented so that they can be made to work in cooperation with...Show moreThe purpose of this research is to identify the threats to archaeological monuments on privately owned land in Ireland, i.e. why and how monuments are being damaged or destroyed, and to find solutions to this problem that will satisfy the needs of both archaeologists and landowners alike. The methods used to address these issues include a remote survey of archaeological monuments in a research area in Co. Clare, qualitative interviews with landowners, IFA representatives and an archaeologist and a review of similar surveys on the preservation of monuments in Ireland, England and Northern Ireland. The results of all of the methods used in this research identified earthwork monuments, and especially ringforts, as the monuments that have been damaged the most on privately owned land in Ireland. To effectively prevent future damage from being caused to monuments on privately owned land, several solutions will need to be implemented so that they can be made to work in cooperation with each other. Updating the information on the levels of preservation of all monuments and continued monitoring of monuments will give a clear picture of what the current situation is today and any changes to the situation in the future. The issue needs to be fully publicised using all media to reach a maximum number of people. Education initiatives also need to be fully publicised to reach a maximum number of landowners. Moreover, solutions need not only to encourage farmers to preserve archaeological monuments, but to also make it worth their while and to respect their position as a major stakeholder in the Irish landscape.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Priceless But Worthless - The Preservation of Archaeological Monuments on Privately Owned Land in Ireland