Contractor sought to list battlefields

The Department of the Environment has advertised for a contractor to check evidence about more than 100 of the State's reputed battlefields.

The contract detailed on the Government's e-tendering website stipulates that a working list of 130 battle sites is to be provided to the contractor, alongside a list of 63 battlefield records from the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, some of which may overlap. Starting with these sources, the contractor will prepare a "defined" list of sites.

The list is expected to include famous battle sites such as the 1690 Battle of the Boyne; the Battle of Aughrim, Co Galway, in 1691; and Vinegar Hill in Co Wexford in 1798, as well as lesser known battles such as that in 1580 at Glenmalure, Co Wicklow.

The authenticity of the sites will then be established with reference to the location of the battle, folklore and other evidence, and geophysical impacts.

The contractor will prepare a report for each battle on the list. Each report will have text, images and maps.

The project is to be overseen by the State chief archaeologist and experts from the National Monuments Service.

The research is being taken against a backdrop of planning and development issues that impact on the way battlefields are managed.

Most battlefields have evolved into their present condition through various usages from agriculture to dwellings and industry. Many have been fragmented by boundaries.