Shortlist for world heritage
status is drawn up
By - Paul Melia
GEORGIAN Dublin and the Tara complex are among a list of
potential world heritage sites being prepared by
Environment Minister John Gormley.
Today, a list of potential nominees to the World Heritage
List will be published, which also asks UNESCO to
consider protecting the Burren and Ceide Fields and north
Mayo boglands.
But there's bad news for Killarney National Park and the
bogs of Clara, Co. Offaly, which have been dropped from
the list.
Instead, an expert group wants to honour Georgian Dublin
and the capital's literary heritage, which has seen
Dubliners George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett garner
two Nobel Prizes for Literature.
World Heritage sites are considered to be of "outstanding
universal value" and are defined as being of "cultural
and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to
transcend national boundaries and to be of common
importance for present and future generations of all
humanity".
Inscribed
Ireland currently has three sites -- The Giant's Causeway
in Co. Antrim, which was inscribed in 1986, Bru na Boinne
in Co. Meath (1993), and Skellig Michael in Co. Kerry
(1996).
The new list recommends the Burren, Céide Fields
and north-west Mayo Boglands, Clonmacnoise, Dublin -- A
Georgian City and its Literary Tradition, Early Medieval
Monastic Sites, the Royal Sites of Ireland and Western
Stone Forts.
"It is now much more difficult to meet the UNESCO
requirements for inscription", Mr. Gormley said.
"I believe that the draft list contains a list of those
Irish properties which are of outstanding universal value
and which meet the UNESCO inscription requirements".
There will be consultation with stakeholders and
interested parties before any region is formally
nominated.
Last October, the minister established an Expert Advisory
Group to carry out a review of Ireland's 1992 Tentative
List of potential sites for nomination.
The next stage is that local authorities and communities
will be consulted in relation to potential sites in their
areas and there will be an opportunity to make
observations on the draft new Tentative List. The
deadline for submissions on the current list is December
23rd.
The World Heritage List has almost 900 properties,
including the Alhambra in Spain, Red Square in Russia and
Acropolis in Greece.
© The Irish Independent, 2nd. November 2009.
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Minister Gormley publishes Ireland's draft World Heritage
Tentative List .
