Council warns of damaged sites and monuments

The Government should act now, by spending relatively small amounts of money, to save the State's "priceless" architectural heritage, the chief archaeologist with the Heritage Council has said. Mr Charles Mount was speaking as the council published the results of a survey which found that one-third of the State's 27,000 stone structures and monuments were significantly damaged or suffering neglect.

One in five is affected by intensive stone decay and one in 10 shows "so much structural damage that they are in danger of collapse".

The Heritage Council, which commissioned experts from the Dublin Institute of Technology and Trinity College Dublin to survey a sample of 112 monuments in 14 counties, views the situation as "urgent". These monuments included Martello Towers and Christ Church Cathedral crypt.

Among those monuments most at risk are Baltinglass Abbey in Co Wicklow, Trim Abbey in Co Meath and the frieze carvings in Ardmore Cathedral, Co Waterford. Describing the damage to Baltinglass Abbey, Mr Mount said the stonework, composed of mainly hornfels and some granite, is badly iron-stained and colonised by lichens, which has widened natural fractures, severely weakening the stone.

"The Romanesque carvings need protection as lichens are growing over them causing disintegration. There has been some pointing with Portland lime cement. The lime has leached into the granite, further weakening it," he said. "The carvings in particular would benefit from the use of appropriate biocides which, with trained advice, could kill the lichens without further damaging the carvings. This could be done for really relatively small amounts of money."

Also surveyed was St Augustine's Abbey, in Ferns, Co Wexford, a medieval structure built with volcanic rock. "It displays stone decay, granular disintegration and the surviving masonry has been re-pointed with Portland lime cement, which again causes further disintegration," said Mr Mount.

The problem with maintaining many of these structures, he continued, was that they were not owned by the State.

"Only a handful, about 800 to 900, actually belong to the Government. Most belong to either the Church of Ireland, the Catholic Church or are the responsibility of local authorities. In many cases, local authorities and churches don't have a budget to care for these sites."

In many cases, as little as £900 could save monuments for another 20 years, he added. Mr Mount recommended that a fund be established by Government to which those responsible for these sites could apply for money to maintain them. Mr Michael Starrett, chief executive of the council, said neglect of the monuments showed an underestimation of their inherent historic and economic value. Acting now to save them would contribute significantly to local as well as national tourism, he said.