Many Irish heritage sites 'of universal value' would benefit from listing on a UN register. But, writes Gordon Deegan, we are far behind in nominating sites for protection.
The Government has been strongly criticised for its "inadequate" record in having the country's world-renowned heritage sites inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list.
Ireland has the worst record in the EU, apart from Luxembourg, in having its best-known sites inscribed on the prestigious list, which is operated by the cultural and educational arm of the United Nations.
The sites already on the list are the Boyne Valley, which was inscribed in 1993, and the early Christian settlement at Skellig Michael in Co Kerry, which was successfully nominated in 1995.
Since then no site has even been put forward by the Government for inclusion on the list, which now numbers 730 heritage sites in 124 countries across the globe and includes the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Grand Canyon in the US, along with man-made creations such as the Egyptian pyramids, the Acropolis in Greece and the Taj Mahal in India.
An Taisce's heritage officer, Mr Ian Lumley, said the Government's record in engagement with Unesco on putting sites forward was "tardy and inadequate".
"It is a very poor reflection on the State's heritage policy that no site has been put forward for nomination in eight years now," he said.
Ireland's poor record contrasts with that of other EU states where, since Ireland's last nomination in 1995, Spain has had 23 sites inscribed and the UK 10. The first site put forward by the UK in 1986 was the Giant's Causeway in Co Antrim.
Any site being put forward for inclusion for the World Heritage Site list - now 31 years old - is subject to strict criteria and Unesco inspections where properties must have "outstanding universal value" and be subject to strict management plans to ensure their continued protection.
The Government has drawn up a "tentative list", including the Republic's best-known heritage sites, for future nomination. The list includes the Burren, the Killarney National Park, Céide Fields in Co Mayo, the Rock of Cashel, the Western Stone Forts and the 6th-century ecclesiastical remains at Clonmacnoise, Co Offaly.
Before settling on the Western Stone Forts for proposed nomination in late 2001, an internal Dúchas memo blamed the failure to make subsequent nominations since Skellig Michael on "doubts as to the tentative list's sites' state of readiness to withstand strict examination".
The memo stated: "In general, it was felt that we should not risk a refusal as this could be diplomatically, politically and professionally embarrassing."
Ruling out the Burren for nomination at the time, the Dúchas memo, while acknowledging the area's "outstanding universal value", said nomination "would represent enormous problems in terms of protection and management and at this stage would not be a runner".
In a separate report, Killarney National Park is dismissed as a proposed nomination after one official said the site was "too damaged to go forward now", pointing out the damage caused by rhododendron infestation of the oak and overgrazing in the park.
However, any move to nominate the agreed candidate of the Western Stone Forts now appears to have stalled.
A Department of Environment spokeswoman told The Irish Times that no recent progress had been made on the nomination, blaming a lack of resources. The Department could not put a date on when any future nomination would be made.
In response, Mr Lumley said: "The failure to nominate any further sites questions our credibility as a country which has signed up to the UNESCO aims. As a people we take a pride in our natural and built heritage, but this seems a little bit hollow when it appears that we haven't been able to look after it."
It was "positively embarrassing" that sites such as the Burren and the Killarney National Park did not meet international standards, and measures must be put in place to ensure that they did.
"Of course, World Heritage Site designation is a double-edged sword, because obviously a designation attracts more visitors, and every site is vulnerable to the wear and tear of footfalls," Mr Lumley said.
Underlining the importance of World Heritage status as a marketing tool for tourism, the 7th-century monastic site on the Skelligs in 2002, in a difficult year for tourism, enjoyed its second-best year yet, with 28,000 visitors to the visitor centre.
The senior tourism officer with Cork-Kerry Tourism, Mr Frank Donaldson, said: "Having an attraction designated a World Heritage Site brings it to the highest level of environmental endorsement, and it seems that overseas visitors pay more attention to it than domestic visitors."
Cork-Kerry Tourism was disappointed that Killarney was not included.
Italy has the largest number of heritage sites in the world, with 35 inscribed.
China comes second with 28.
Other high-ranking countries are Germany (27), the United Kingdom (24), India (23), Mexico (22), the US (18), Russia, Brazil and Greece (16) and Australia (14).
Some of the best-known sites: The Statue of Liberty, Auschwitz concentration camp, Venice and its lagoon, the Great Wall of China, the historic centre of Prague, the Acropolis in Athens, the Tower of London, Stonehenge and the Florida Everglades.