National Monuments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019

Thursday, 21 February 2019

Questions (80)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

80. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of protected burial mounds which are listed and accessible for tourism and educational purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8960/19]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

As the Deputy is aware, there are a large number of recorded monuments in the country and a significant number may fall within the description of the term "burial mounds". For the purpose of responding to the question therefore, the word "protected" is firstly taken to mean those monuments in the care of the Office of Public Works and protected under National Monuments legislation. The reference to "burial mounds" is interpreted as referring to those National Monuments which are categorised as either Passage Tombs, Wedge Tombs, Portal Tombs, Court Tombs or Megalithic Tombs. Graveyards are not included in the definition.

A total of 63 individual Monuments, some co-located on the same site, are included in the Monuments in State Care list under these various descriptors and this list is in the table.

Visitor facilities are provided at 4 sites in Co. Meath (Newgrange, Dowth, Knowth & Loughcrew) through the Brú na Boinne Visitor Centre and 1 in Co. Sligo (Carrowmore).

The Office of Public Works endeavours, in as far as possible, to facilitate public access to all the National Monuments in its care. However, this may not be possible in all instances at all times for a variety of reasons outside its control including works, Health & Safety concerns, the fact that Monuments or the entry points to them may be located on private lands or because access is either temporarily or permanently curtailed for farming reasons such as animal movements or harvesting.

If the Deputy has a specific site in mind, I would invite him to make contact with my office directly and we will assist him.

The full list of National Monument tomb sites in the care of the OPW is as follows:

NAME	DESCRIPTION	TOWNLAND	COUNTY
Browneshill	Portal Tomb	Kernanstown	Carlow
Gartnanoul	Court Tomb	Gartnanoul	Cavan
Cohaw	Court Tomb	Cohaw	Cavan
Poulnabrone	Portal Tomb	Poulnabrone	Clare
Slievenaglasha	Wedge Tomb	Slievenaglasha	Clare
Tullycommon	Wedge Tomb	Tullycommon	Clare
Caheraphuca	Wedge Tomb	Caheraphuca	Clare
Ballyhickey	Wedge Tomb	Ballyhickey	Clare
Labbacallee	Wedge Tomb	Labbacallee	Cork
Island	Wedge Tomb	Island	Cork
Altar	Wedge Tomb	Altar	Cork
Malin More (Glencolumbkille)	Megalithic Tombs	Malin More	Donegal
Kiltiernan	Portal Tomb	Kiltiernan Domain	Dublin
Ballyedmonduff	Wedge Tomb	Ballyedmonduff	Dublin
Laughanstown	Crosses and wedge tomb (Two Celtic crosses, two cairns, the bases of two crosses)	Laughanstown	Dublin
Kilmashogue	Wedge Tomb	Kilmashogue	Dublin
Brenanstown	Portal Tomb	Brenanstown	Dublin
Killeany	Wedge Tomb A dolmen near Cowragh	Oghill	Galway
Carrownlisheen	Wedge Tomb	Carrownlisheen	Galway
Doorus	Wedge Tomb	Doorus Demesne	Galway
Knockroe	Passage Tomb	Knockroe	Kilkenny
Kilmogue (Leac an Scáil)	Portal Tomb	Kilmogue, Harristown	Kilkenny
Corracloona	Megalithic Tomb	Corracloona	Leitrim
Aghaderrard West	Court Tomb	Aghaderrard West	Leitrim
Lough Gur	Wedge Tomb	Lough Gur	Limerick
Lough Gur	Megalithic Tomb unclassified	Ballynagallagh	Limerick
Duntryleague (Deerpark)	Passage Tomb	Deerpark	Limerick
Proleek	Portal Tomb & wedge Tomb	Proleek	Louth
Rockmarshall	Court Tomb	Rockmarshall	Louth
Townleyhall	Passage Tomb	Townleyhall	Louth
Carrowcrom	Wedge Tomb	Carrowcrom	Mayo
Carrowcrom	Megalithic Tomb	Carrowcrom	Mayo
Carrowcastle	Wedge Tomb	Carrowcastle	Mayo
Ballina	Portal Tomb	Ballina	Mayo
Rathfranpark	Wedge Tomb	Rathfranpark	Mayo
Ardmulchan	Passage Tomb	Ardmulchan	Meath
Dowth	Passage Tomb	Dowth	Meath
Knowth	Passage Tomb Cemetery	Knowth	Meath
Loughcrew	Passage Tomb Cemetery	Newtown	Meath
Loughbracken	Mound	Loughbrackan	Meath
Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth	Passage Tomb	Newgrange	Meath
Fourknocks	Passage Tomb	Fourknocks	Meath
Loughcrew	Passage Tomb Cemetery & Other Monuments, Cairn & Standing Stone	Corstown, Newtown, Patrickstown	Meath
Cairnbane	Court Tomb	Tiredigan	Monaghan
Altore	Wedge Tomb	Altore	Roscommon
Knocknarea	Passage tombs & Cairns	Knocknarea South	Sligo
Magheraghanrush or Deerpark	Court Tomb	Magheraghanrush or Deerpark	Sligo
Carrowreagh	Court Tomb	Carrowreagh	Sligo
Carrowmore Passage Tomb Cemetery	Stone circle, Ring barrow, Passage tomb, Ringfort, Megalithic structure, Cashel	Carrowmore, Graigue, Tobernaveen	Sligo
Carrowkeel Passage Tomb Cemetery	Passage Tomb Cemetery	Carricknahorna East, Carrowkeel, Doonaveeragh, Treanscrabbagh, Tully	Sligo
Carricknagat	Megalithic Tombs	Carricknagat	Sligo
Moytirra East	Court Tomb	Moytirra East	Sligo
Cabragh	Wedge Tomb	Cabragh	Sligo
Creevykeel	Court Tomb	Creevykeel	Sligo
Gortnaleck	Court Tomb	Gortnaleck	Sligo
Shrough	Passage Tomb	Shrough	Tipperary South
Matthewstown	Passage Tomb	Matthewstown	Waterford
Ballynageeragh	Portal Tomb	Ballynageeragh	Waterford
Gaulstown	Portal Tomb	Gaulstown	Waterford
Knockeen	Portal Tomb	Knockeen	Waterford
Seefin	Passage Tomb	Scurlocksleap	Wicklow
Baltinglass Hill	Passage Tomb & Hillfort	Pinnacle, Coolinarrig Upper & Tuckmill Hill	Wicklow
Moylisha	Wedge Tomb	Moylisha	Wicklow