The issue I raise this evening arises from national publicity, particularly the leading front page article in the Sunday Press of last Sunday, detailing the existence in private hands of a collection of archaeological artefacts and finds, all it seems gleaned by illegal digs assisted by metal detectors on various sites, many of them listed as protected archaeological sites located all over the country.
The story published at the weekend, while it reveals the most undesirable practice, might have a positive effect in that it may get the Government to act in an area scandalously overlooked and neglected for many years — the protection of our national archaeological sites and historic heritage.
We hear stories almost every week of metal detecting and the removal of artefacts from field monuments and sites but this piece of investigative journalism is one of the first instances where hard evidence and proof have been brought forward to show how widespread and extensive is the practice as it has exposed a private collection of national treasures which were found all over the country. The seeking and hoarding of these items is totally against the law and this law has been confirmed and upheld by the Supreme Court. Many Members of this House — including myself if I may be so indulgent in saying so — have been raising these issues here for years but we have always had the same answers from various Ministers, denying that the practice is widespread or simply denying that the practice exists.
The reports suggest that the hoard contains at least 12 items of major significance. I will mention only a few because of the time constraint: the Lough Kinale Chalice and Paten is a unique 8th or 9th century travelling chalice and was found by treasure hunters operating illegally at Lough Kinale, County Longford, in 1983. This item was later sold to the Price Collection. It contains the Clooneenbane Bucket which is an early Christian, possibly 7th century, monastic vessel in bronze. This was found on a site at Clooneenbane about five miles from Roscommon town in my constituency. This item found its way into the collection but, amazingly, it appears it was accepted on loan by the National Museum from the collection and, as far as I know, remains on loan to the National Museum. Will the Minister explain how this happened and give reasons for the Government not declaring the item State property?
Another item in the Price Collection is the Meath Crucifixion Plaque which is a priceless 8th century bronze artefact from a monastic site in County Meath. I gather it is the only piece of its kind in private hands in this country, indeed in the world. I will mention one other item reputedly in the hoard, a 7th century bronze decorated cross. Its centre is jewel-mounted with what looks like lapis lazuli. If the mounting is lapis lazuli — and we cannot know this unless the item is surrendered for proper examination — it is a unique and priceless piece since this kind of decoration has been up to now completely unknown in early Irish Christian art.
Everybody condemns this kind of illegal treasure troving and the putting together in these collections of what amounts to the priceless inheritance which belongs to all of us. The people who do it defend themselves by saying there are loopholes in the law which, while they do not make their activities right, nevertheless are not illegal and they might have a point. However, I believe that our national monuments legislation is, on balance, strong and comprehensive enough to protect our national sites and heritage. However, the enforcement of the law is a laugh primarily because there is nobody to enforce it. That is where the Minister stands condemned.
The enforcements are so primitive that they remind me of the African state of Benin, a small country, which had in the 11th century a magnificent mediaeval civilisation, albeit a small confined one. The civilisation manifested itself in magnificent bronze articles and jewelled art work. It was plundered and taken all over the world. It is now in private collections and hardly a single item of it exists in Benin today. There was a law to stop that from happening but it happened because there was no enforcement of the law. Our country, sadly, has a close analogy to that situation which took place 140 years ago in what we might be inclined to call a primitive and small African country.
I want to give one more instance of a processional cross which was found in County Roscommon about four years ago. It was taken out of the country and offered to the Getty Museum in California. I understand at that stage the National Museum were informed about it but, to this day, they have not found a trace of this priceless object. I urge the Minister to act.
