Clonmacnois Action Group: WHS meeting minutes

The minutes from the meeting in September about the WHS for clonmacnoice have been sent to me by Derry and are pasted below.

Clonmacnois Action Group
Minutes of Meeting No3 Held at St Ciaran’s School, Clonmacnois
Tuesday 15th September 2009

Attendance:
An Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Noel Higgins, Councillo Sinéad Moylan-Ryan, Andy Costello, Alo Kenny, Patricia Anderson, Noel Hynes, Joe Byrne, Ambrose Cuddy, John Dolan (Chairman), Neil Darcy, Gus Claffey (Treasurer), Tom Fahy, Seán Ascough (Secretary)

Apologies:
Vivienne Holmes, Rev Graham Doyle

Minutes:
1. Meeting chaired by John Dolan who thanked An Taoiseach for coming to Clonmacnois to hear the views of the
Clonmacnois Action Group that was formed from a public meeting in Clonfanlough hall in objection to the current
proposal to have Clonmacnois inscribed as a World Heritage Site. John listed some of the reasons why the local
people have rejected the WH bid proposal. He said it was not a “caveman no” but that there were genuine reasons.
This non exhaustive list included: Farming, planning, graveyard (incl access and extension), living Christian Faith
Heritage (in particular that the Youth 2000 festival could continue), school, roads, quarry, gun club, turf cutting etc.
2. An Taoiseach welcomed the forming of the action group to represent the local peoples’ concerns in a structured
way and said that he could understand fully why the local people had rejected the proposal.
3. An Taoiseach said that he has been following developments and acknowledged that the “so called consultation
process” had been “inadequate” and “not meaningful”. Proof of this he said was in the nature of the unacceptable
proposal that had been brought forward by the Department of the Environment and local Government (DoEHLG),
including how unnecessarily “extensive” it had been. He acknowledged the level of admission in the official system
that the process had been “poorly designed” and that it had ended up with “polarised opposing” views between
people. He said that we are not at an application stage yet but that the “concept put before the people was very
big” and this has now resulted in a serious realisation by the DoEHLG.
4. An Taoiseach said that it needs to be ascertained from UNESCO as to what exactly are the min requirements re
buffer zones/ areas. He said that those zones currently proposed may be appropriate for remote uninhabitated
areas in the middle of a desert but not where people are living. (Later Sean Ascough pointed out that any proposal
based on UNESCO criteria 4 and 5, rather than possibly say criteria 1 and 6 that relate to the “genus loci”, would
lead to lines being drawn on maps that affect people’s livelihoods negatively and would certainly not be acceptable
to the Local Community. He also said that choice of criteria was a political one to be made by the applicant
government, and that the wrong choice had been made here).
5. An Taoiseach said that the overriding issue is what process should be pursued: Is it possible to find a process that is
reasonable and not “totally off-beam”. He said that Clonmacnois is a site of World Importance and it deserves the
honour of World Heritage Status. In the beginning the proposal had seemed like a good idea but as the nature/
limitations of it became apparent it is less attractive now. He said that we need to ask “what is a sensible
proposal?– what passes the test of reasonableness? - can we find one? - and if not then just leave it”. He requested
the local people to have an open mind.
6. John Dolan responded by saying that the people are very angry and that there would be a very big mending job to
do.
7. An Taoiseach said that he would not be happy with any proposal that did not have the support of the local people
and that it would not be forced on the people against their wishes. (Later John Dolan requested this in writing to
the Committee from An Taoiseach). In any event An Taoiseach said it would be a long road and there is no rush.
8. Joe Byrne said that his big concern was what could happen 10 years down the line if the plan were adopted
especially since the management plan can be changed at will. An Taoiseach agreed that this would be a concern of
his also saying that it is hard to “undesignate” a place once it has been designated, though we are “not near that
point” at present.
9. Gus Claffey noted that the Clonmacnois area is already “half sterilised”, e.g. permits needed for ploughing or
sowing early potatoes. He said the graveyard, which is already a feature in the guided tour e.g. the grave of Rory O
Connor the last high king of Ireland, and indeed is the only feature of the World Heritage site in Newgrange, will be
discontinued by not allowing ongoing burials. Noel Hynes recalled to An Taoiseach that there has been a graveyard
committee in place for a long time and a guarantee is needed that the graveyard will be extended. Patricia
Anderson and Noel Higgins concurred and said that there is a half acre across from the existing graveyard that the
owner is prepared to sell. This would serve for 100 years but a cost of €4.5 to 6 million per acre had been quoted by
the Department for archaeological clearance. The graveyard committee has been trying for years but with no
success. Noel Higgins reiterated that since St Ciaran’s time Clonmacnois has been a place of pilgrimage and a burial
ground and he requested that the Christian Heritage element be respected.
10. Sinead Moylan Ryan emphasised to An Taoiseach that the graveyard problem lies with DoEHLG since it is DoEHLG
that are dictating to Offaly County Council that the graveyard cannot be extended. Sinead said that there are no
plots available now for any local person who has not managed to buy one yet. Noel Higgins said that there already
had been two instances where elderly parishioners had died and their expressed wishes to be buried in
Clonmacnois had not been carried out because there were no plots available.
11. Seán Ascough mentioned how well received and assisted the Youth 2000 festival had been by the Local Community
and what a positive experience it had been for all involved. He also noted as an aside regarding how good this
“pilgrimage” had been for the local economy e.g. all accommodation in the area from Athlone to Shannonbridge
was fully booked for the 4 days. Ambrose Cuddy concurred saying that this was a proper use for Clonmacnois.
12. Ambrose Cuddy said that there needs to be a “local nexus” between the DoEHLG and the Local Community. An
Taoiseach agreed this was necessary and proposed to arrange for a dedicated liaison person to be appointed.
13. Gus Claffey noted that the Draft Management Plan had a lot in it regarding road signage but nothing in it regarding
improvement of the local road itself which is as narrow as 12 feet in some places. Noel Higgins concurred saying
that access to the monastic site is a concern of the Local Community’s. He said that suggestions of a shuttle bus
service / bussing people in and out/ access restrictions etc would be a concern: It appeared that the Local
Community would be paying “all the costs and receiving none of the benefits”.
14. An Taoiseach reiterated that the whole proposal as it stands is “on the wrong wavelength and is a non-runner”.
Patricia Anderson observed that early evidence of the poor handling was how Maptec had continually referred to
their previous WH bid for a coalmine in Wales and that they were treating Clonmacnois like a coalmine. Patricia
noted that the committee now understand that the proposal that was put to the Local Community is now
completely dead.
15. Sinead Moylan Ryan impressed upon An Taoiseach that he has a “vital role to play” on behalf of the Local
Community to set up the liaison between the DoEHLG and the Local Community.
16. Sinead Moylan Ryan also said that the Youth 2000 festival has to be allowed to proceed annually. Sean Ascough
mentioned how the National Monuments Service in DoEHLG had attempted to stop the festival on archaeological
grounds and had linked their reasons to the World Heritage bid and DoEHLG policy. An Taoiseach mentioned that
Bishop Colm O Reilly had also written to him expressing concerns regarding the Christian Faith Heritage aspects. An
Taoiseach said that he shared these local concerns too and that all of this was “pushing against an open door” as
far as he was concerned.
17. John Dolan thanked An Taoiseach again for taking the time out from his very demanding schedule to come and talk
to the committee. John said that the committee does not have the mandate from the Local Community to enter
into negotiations and that the committee would be reporting back to the Local Community and seeking their
guidance.
Actions Arising:
• An Taoiseach to issue a confirmation in writing to the Clonmacnois Action Group to confirm that the current
proposal is now dead and that no World Heritage application will be made to UNESCO without Local Community
agreement along the lines of the signature petition that had been lodged by the Local Community earlier.
• An Taoiseach to arrange for liaison person to be nominated to the Local Community from the DoEHLG regarding
any future correspondence.
• Clonmacnois Action Group to issue minutes of today’s meeting to An Taoiseach.