Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 1

Written Answers. - Departmental Funding.

Ivor Callely

Question:

158 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the way in which the allocation of £770,000 in 1999 by her Department to the Discovery Programme Limited was utilised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11138/00]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

The Deputy will be aware that the Discovery Programme Limited is an archaeological research body that is funded by the Heritage Council from its allocation of funds from my Department's Vote. The role of the discovery programme is through archaeological and related research, to work towards a coherent and comprehensive picture of human life in Ireland from earliest times; and to publish the results of this research scientifically and in ways that can be appreciated by the general public.

Throughout 1999 the discovery programme continued work on four of its original long-term research projects: the north Munster project; the Ballyhoura Hills project; the western stone forts project and the Tara literary project. I understand that these projects are due for completion at the end of 2000. In addition, two new projects were commenced: the medieval rural settlement project in May and the lake settlement project in November. Work was also progressed on a research strategy document due for completion within the next month that will outline recommendations for a second phase of research relating to Tara.

The discovery programme also continued its pioneering use of new technologies in the field of archaeological research and, through the use of geophysical surveying, a previously unknown and significant new enclosure possibly dating to the late neolithic period was discovered on the Hill of Tara.

Two discovery programme publications appeared during 1999: discovery programme reports 5; and Mooghaun, a guide booklet about the important hillfort near Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare, which had been excavated between 1992 and 1995 as part of the north Munster project. Information panels exploiting this recent research were also prepared by the North Munster project team for erection by Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, along an archaeological trail opened at Mooghaun last September. Similarly, members of the western stone forts project team prepared the information panels reflecting their most recent research for the new visitor centre at Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór. A discovery programme team had excavated this site between 1992 and 1995, as well as the nearby monument at Dún Eoghanachta.

Three other research monographs were brought to near publication stage. These were a study of the Bronze Age artefacts of the north Munster area; a pioneering and highly productive study of the inter-tidal zone of the Shannon Estuary; and an investigation of the destructive excavations, a century ago, by the British-Israelites at Tara in pursuit of the ‘ark of the covenant'. In addition, discovery programme staff published papers relating to their work in a wide range of academic and popular publications, as well as lecturing at conferences in Ireland and abroad, and to local societies and student groups.

A travelling exhibition illustrating the work of the discovery programme was displayed in Belfast, Derry, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh and Limerick. As a result of its display in the latter city, a joint educational project was devised with the Hunt Museum that will involve both adults and children, and will draw attention to the research activities of the discovery programme, and, in particular, to the sizeable amount of important research which it has conducted in the mid-west region.