Dun Ailinne moves closer to World Heritage Site status

Dun Ailinne, the ancient royal site just outside Kilcullen, is to be presented in a list of sites in Ireland for consideration as a Unesco World Heritage Site, at a meeting of the organisation's World Heritage Committee in Brasilia at the end of July.

The site outside Kilcullen is included in a cluster of 'royal sites of Ireland' along with Cashel, the Hill of Uishneach in Co Westmeath, the Rathcrogan complex in Co Roscommon, and Tara in Co Meath. The llist being submitted is at the 'tentative' stage in the process.

Other sites on the list include the Historic City of Dublin, Royal Tara, Georgian Dublin, the Céide Fields in northwest Mayo, Dún Aonghusa in Aran, the monastic site of Clonmacnoise and the Burren in Co Clare.

Ireland's three Unesco sites are Skellig Michael, off the Kerry coast; Brú na Bóinne in Co Meath, and the Giant’s Causeway in Co Antrim.

At a public meeting in Kilcullen a year ago, Brian Lucas from the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government said that Unesco was trying to limit the number of WH sites, one reason why a 'serial' nomination of the combined Royal Sites was being considered.