Damage to heritage site at Old Kilcullen

An unauthorised attempt to make a road through a protected heritage area in Old Kilcullen has been stopped and the person responsible will have to restore the damage to what is believed to be a Bronze Age site, writes Brian Byrne.

This followed a swift intervention by the Old Kilcullen Community Association, which resulted in a visit to the site today by an archaeologist from the National Monuments Service and the County Kildare Heritage Officer.

The site is part of a large area of Old Kilcullen which is protected under the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004. Among the provisions it is forbidden 'to excavate, dig, plough, or otherwise disturb' ground in the area, without permission from the Minister with responsibility for Heritage.

The OKCA Committee held an emergency meeting on Sunday morning, after two heavy machines had been used to cut the base of a road across a triangle of commonage where a long-catalogued ring barrow burial site is located.

The work had started early on Saturday morning. By the end of the day the cut had been completed right across the site, which is near land owned by the person involved.

"We had to do something very quickly," says OKCA chairman Christy Howard. "This is the kind of heritage that can't be replaced once it is destroyed."

The committee notified the authorities this morning. Christy and Cllr Ivan Keatley, who is also a member of the Committee, are very appreciative of how quickly both the local and national authorities reacted. "It just reflects how important this place is considered to be," the OKCA chairman says.

Cllr Keatley says he understands that the landowner concerned, who doesn't live in the area, has been contacted and told that the site must not be touched until an archaeological assessment has been carried out, and that the damage will then have to be rectified under proper archaeological protocols.

Tracey O'Dwyer (pictured above with Cllr Keatley), the FG candidate for the Kilcullen-Newbridge area in the upcoming summer local elections, has complimented the committee for their quick action. "As individuals and as a community we all have a responsibility to protect our local heritage," she says. "This is the very best kind of community action, to react quickly and involve the right authorities to deal with a situation."

Christy Howard said it is particularly important to be aware of the importance of local heritage during the Kilcullen 700 celebration year.

Pic: Derek Clifford.

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