Facilitator appointed to lead newly established Brú na Bóinne Community Heritage Forum

The National Monuments Service is establishing a Brú na Bóinne Community Heritage Forum with the appointment of Ms Mona O'Rourke as lead facilitator for the project. The forum will enable the community to be more involved in making decisions about the management, presentation, interpretation and conservation of the site and will help them become stewards of this World Heritage property.

Setting up a Community Heritage Forum is one of the key actions of the Brú na Bóinne Management Plan and aligns with the upcoming Strategy for World Heritage in Ireland. This national strategy, which follows United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) principles, determines that communities should be centrally involved in World Heritage.

Michael MacDonagh, Chief Archaeologist at the National Monuments Service explained:

"The Brú na Bóinne Community Heritage Forum will be a place where people can share their opinions and ideas and hear updates on management plans, research proposals and protection measures.

On this the International Day for Monuments and Sites which celebrates World Heritage, we affirm our commitment to working with the community which is so closely connected with Brú na Bóinne, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List almost 30 years ago."

Newly appointed Brú na Bóinne Community Heritage Facilitator, Mona Rourke is currently holding a series of face-to-face sessions on World Heritage processes for interested members of the community and the first meeting of the forum is expected to be held in June:

On her appointment Mona said:

"I am honoured to take up this new role at Brú na Bóinne and am really looking forward to meeting as many people as possible from the local communities. I will be establishing a Community Forum with an agenda that will fully reflect their ideas and priorities."

As well as working with the local communities, Mona will liaise with the National Monuments Service, the Office of Public Works, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Meath and Louth County Councils.

Mona is a heritage professional, experienced in research, conservation and management of cultural heritage and is particularly interested in working with communities to manage cultural heritage. She was previously involved in project that analysed ways to protect and manage Brú na Bóinne.

ENDS

Further information

More information about Ireland's World Heritage is available at: www.worldheritageireland.ie

Further Information on Brú na Bóinne

Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. The listing reflects the site's status as the richest archaeological landscape in Ireland. Brú na Bóinne has Europe's largest and most important concentration of prehistoric megalithic art.

Brú na Bóinne, which means the 'palace' or the 'mansion' of the Boyne, refers to the area within the bend of the River Boyne which contains one of the world's most important prehistoric landscapes. The main mounds are surrounded by a number of satellite monuments giving rise to one of the most globally significant archaeological complexes.

The natural heritage of Brú na Bóinne is also of importance and it encompasses several Natural Heritage Areas. The Boyne River Islands are one of the country's few examples of alluvial wet woodland, which is a priority habitat under the EU Habitat Directive.

Further Information on World Heritage Convention

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (commonly known as the 'World Heritage Convention') is an international agreement adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 1972.

The Convention is based on the premise that certain places on earth are of 'outstanding universal value' and therefore they should be identified and safeguarded by the international community as a whole. The Convention is innovative as it links together the concept of conservation and preservation of both natural and cultural heritage. It recognizes the way in which people interact with nature, and the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the two. The Convention defines the kind of natural or cultural sites that can be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List. It is one of the most widely supported conventions of the United Nations.

There are three World Heritage properties located on the island of Ireland:

• Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne (inscribed 1993)
• Sceilg Mhichíl (inscribed 1996)
• Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast (Northern Ireland, inscribed 1986)