Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 June 2014
33. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the circumstances in which the Lia Fáil monument in County Meath was vandalised; if it will be possible to fully restore this monument; the actions that will be taken if any to prevent this kind of vandalism again; the number of national monuments that have been seriously vandalised in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24468/14]
View answerThe standing stone known as the Lia Fáil at Tara, County Meath, is an extremely important national monument which is vested in my ownership as Minister and managed on my behalf by the Office of Public Works. The granite stone features extensively in ancient texts and is associated with the inauguration rites for the Kings of Tara. In the early nineteenth century the stone was moved from the nearby Mound of the Hostages to its current position to mark the graves of rebels who fell in the Battle of Tara in 1798. On the morning of 29 May last, OPW guides arriving at Tara discovered that the Lia Fáil had suffered vandalism overnight, involving paint being poured over the monument. An Garda Síochána was immediately notified and an investigation was commenced. On foot of the initial report, a conservation team from the OPW and an archaeologist from my Department attended the site and, later the same day, the OPW team undertook cleaning of the stone. While they were successful in removing most of the paint, the monument remains somewhat discoloured and there are paint deposits remaining within channels in the stone. It is thought that, over time, the discolouration and the remaining deposits will disappear through normal weathering. Archaeologists from my Department will continue to liaise closely with the OPW in relation to the conservation and restoration needs of the monument.
Thankfully, incidences of vandalism at archaeological monuments are relatively rare, though the Lia Fáil was also targeted in 2012, when it was struck by a hammer or similar instrument. This year, in addition to the Lia Fáil incident, vandalism has occurred at two other archaeological monuments, Ross Errily Friary in Co. Galway and Carrowmore Passage Tomb in Co. Sligo. These incidents are also the subject of Garda investigations.
All known archaeological monuments, of which there are in excess of 130,000, are entitled to protection under the National Monuments Acts. A significant number of these monuments are located in the more remote parts of the country and the vigilance of local people has proved to be of crucial assistance in identifying instances of unlawful interference with archaeological remains. In relation to national monuments in State care, my Department and the OPW keep security measures at such sites under ongoing review, seeking to strike an appropriate balance between the protection and conservation of this irreplaceable resource while facilitating the widest possible level of public access to the monuments.
