March 1997
Introduction
The Heritage Council welcomes the publication of the Boyne Valley Integrated Development Plan as a progressive step towards integrated planning and development in Ireland. This submission is intended as a set of suggestions which the Management Committee should consider during the implementation of this plan. It is organised under six headings dealing with:
a. the bend of the Boyne (containing the passage tomb cemetery);
b. the village of Slane;
c. the passage tomb cemetery at Loughcrew;
d. the impact of forestry,
e. the role of the statutory and semi-state bodies, and
f. the Boyne navigation.
Recommendations
1. The working party implementing the report should have as one of its members a qualified archaeologist who can advise on the archaeological significance of the area to assist in its proper interpretation.
2. An assessment of the role of the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS), and any possible successors, in the management of the bend of the Boyne should be made.
3. The Georgian character of the village of Slane should be retained.
4. The Loughcrew area is a fragile ancient landscape, the integrity of which should be conserved. Development and access to the area should only be considered following the completion and publication of an Environmental Impact Assessment which deals with all economic, environmental and cultural implications. Until such a statement is published the precautionary principle of sustainable development should apply and no development or access should be allowed.
5. Coillte and the other landowners of the valley should be encouraged to develop a voluntary agreement on the question of future forestry development.
6. All statutory bodies and stakeholders should be involved in the future development of this plan to ensure its integration as appropriate with existing and future local authority development plans.
7. The Boyne battlefield is extremely significant and its interpretation and presentation should form an important aspect of any treatment of the valley.
8. The funds which have been earmarked for the navigation restoration project should be allocated specifically to the restoration of the navigation. Projects linked indirectly to the navigation should receive separate funding.
Detail
The bend of the Boyne
The area of the passage tomb cemetery is recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site and in 1987 was designated as a Protected Area. However, this designation is still not supported by legislation, or a comprehensive published management plan. While the management of the area may be made more difficult by the lack of legislation, long term objectives for the area can be accomplished through the integration of the statutory planning process and the development of a voluntary agreement of all those with an interest in the area.
The report notes the increasing pressure of visitor numbers on Newgrange, and notes that the opening of Knowth and the Visitor Centre will relieve some of this pressure. However, other management options will be required. The development of other sites in the area to allow visitor access is also noted. This approach should be combined with REPS which encourages landowners to allow access from the public to monuments on their lands. Were other monuments to be opened up to visitors in this way it would help to develop the perception that the bend of the Boyne has more than just passage tombs. The ìhengeî monuments in Dowth (SMR 20;10) and Newgrange (SMR 26:6) townlands present a complementary monument type to the passage tombs. There are also a number of standing stones in Newgrange (SMR 19:55) and Dowth (SMR 19:53) townlands. The emphasis on prehistoric monuments should be balanced by placing more emphasis on later sites such as the Medieval church (SMR 20:19) and the tower house (SMR 20:18) in Dowth townland, the ringfort at Newgrange (SMR 19:39), field system at Knowth (SMR 19:27) and mills at Monknewtown and Rosnaree. Finally, the site of the Battle of the Boyne is extremely significant, this was a European battle, and the combatants were drawn from Holland, Denmark, Germany and France as well as England and Ireland. The interpretation and presentation of this battlefield should form an important aspect of any treatment of the valley.
Replacing the current image of the area with one called ìhistoric landscapes woven into Irish mythology, does not appear to be an advance. A better approach would be to designate the area as a protected landscape under IUCN category V and introduce a management plan which would allow development, and interpretation, whilst conserving the landscape and its monuments and the farming community. This would not require more infrastructure and facilities, as these would alter the character of the area, but would entail using the surrounding towns, like Slane, as gateways, and allowing visitors to enter on foot, by bicycle, on horse or by boat, and in limited numbers by car and bus. The linking of the archaeological sites to a continuous riverside walk linking Clonard to Drogheda would be an advantage and the creation of cycling routes should also be encouraged. Any action taken to reopen the Boyne Navigation must take into account the fact that the river itself may contain substantial archaeological material, and not only the artifacts, which it has produced in the past, but possibly the remains of bridges or other structures. Any work on the navigation should be preceded by a full under-water archaeological survey.
The area needs to be managed as a living landscape with its population intact. The landscape has developed as a result of 6,000 years of continued use and its management should remain the responsibility of local communities supported by the local authorities. At the same time agricultural developments which lead to the degradation of the environment should be identified and discouraged. The issue of forestry development is dealt with below. Another issue is the proliferation of farm buildings within the area and these should be the subject of appropriate site and design criteria. These are often unsightly buildings, constructed of unsympathetic materials. They are regulated through the planning process only if they exceed 300m2 in size, but, are often financed through government grants. Any management plan for this area should develop a co-operative system for developing farm buildings in a more sympathetic manner. Other issues which need to be addressed are the removal of field boundaries to create larger fields, and the drainage of land. Changes in landuse must also be considered. Today the area is mainly used as grassland, but the introduction of set-aside and the decline in the market for cattle may see landuse changes in the future. It is these changes in landuse which represent the greatest challenges to the archaeology of the area and its amenity value. An assessment of REPS in the area would also be valuable, noting the number of landowners who are taking part in the scheme and how it has affected the environment. This could provide valuable information for managing the area.
The Village of Slane
The Village of Slane was laid out by the Conyngham family in the eighteenth century, and the square dates from the 1760s. The streets which lead from the cross-roads are lined with terraces of two storey houses built of dressed limestone. These are mixed with commercial premises which have mainly nineteenth century facades. The proposals for Slane are laudable. The restoration of the cross-roads to its original circular form is to be welcomed. The original design (as noted on the first edition six inch Ordnance Survey map) appears to have incorporated a fountain in its centre and this could be replaced in facsimile form. The Hill of Slane and its monuments has been identified as an attraction for visitors, but there are other sites in the vicinity which could also be visited. The Church of Ireland church in Slane (SMR 19:23) has a doorway and two graveslabs taken from the church at Stackallen, and there is a Medieval effigy from the church at Painestown. There is a Medieval church at Fennor (SMR 19:35), south of the Boyne, with Fennor castle (SMR 19:36), a 2 storey six-bay house incorporating a tower house, close by.
Loughcrew
The archaeological complex at Loughcrew is noted briefly in the report. The vulnerability of the sites to heavy usage is noted as well as the intention of the National Monuments Service to construct car parking, toilets and improved access. Any attempt to develop Loughcrew as a visitor attraction, in the manner of Newgrange and Knowth, must be treated with great caution. An Environmental Impact Assessment should precede any proposed developments at the site. The plans of any proposed development should be the subject of extensive consultation and circulated to all relevant bodies.
Forestry
Changes in landuse in the valley, and in particular forestry, have perhaps the greatest potential to alter its character. At present plantations under 70ha do not require Environmental Impact Assessment and this situation can in time lead to major changes in the environment. Ploughing, drainage, planting and the construction of forest roads will have affects on known and undiscovered archaeological sites. The chemicals used in the early planting stages will also drain into watercourses and find their way into the Boyne. Coillte and the landowners in the area covered by the report should be brought into voluntary agreement on a number of issues including:
1. the need to have all lands inspected by qualified archaeologists before any forestry development takes place;
2. the need to have the environmental impact of all plantations assessed.
The role of statutory and semi-state bodies
All the statutory and semi-state bodies which own, have the use of, or have regulatory responsibility for land in the area of the valley have a responsibility to make a positive contribution towards the development of the valley. These bodies should review their policies in light of the development plan. The Implementation Committee should carry out a survey to determine who these bodies are and request that they produce statements regarding their policies. These statements could then be published as an appendix to the next revision of the Development Plan.
The Boyne navigation
The Heritage Council supports the proposal to restore the navigation from Slane to Staleen to provide waterborne access to Donore visitor centre. The enhancement of the towpaths for walkers and other users is also commended. The allocation to this project should be spent on the restoration of the navigation alone and not on projects that are indirectly linked to such restoration.