10 Archaeological and Cultural Heritage

10.10 Industrial Archaeology

Unlike Britain and Ulster most of Ireland did not became industrialised in the 18th century in the European sense. However, limited industrialisation did occur here but was usually very localised. A total of 34 Industrial Archaeological sites were identified in the study area. These sites consist primarily of bridges, mills, railway bridges and structures associated with coal mining. Under the early National Monuments acts archaeology officially ended in the year 1700, but under the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1987 the OPW (later Dúchas) became empowered to use its discretion where sites of national importance dating to post 1700 were involved. Under this new provision the owners of industrial archaeological sites, which are deemed to be important, now required planning permission in order to demolish or alter these sites. In 1994 a further amendment to the National Monuments Act enabled industrial archaeological sites to be added to the national record of monuments, thus affording them a measure of statutory protection. In 1985 Ireland signed the Grenada Convention of the Protection of Europe's Architectural Heritage and to date upward of 30000 buildings of the estimated 1 million in Ireland have been recorded in large parts of some 24 towns. Unfortunately in terms of this report there were no Industrial Archaeology sites included in the Development Plans for counties Carlow, Kildare and Laois. As a result it is very possible that further sites of industrial archaeological significance will be identified during the field walking to be carried out during the route selection phase.