Geoheritage Conservation Developments in Ireland – An Update

Abstract

This paper outlines the development of Irish geological heritage as supported by Geological Survey Ireland through the county geological heritage audit scheme, UNESCO Global Geoparks and other geoheritage and geotourism initiatives. This paper also considers potential developments in Ireland in the context of the growing awareness and understanding of geoheritage at European and international levels, including the recent developments in geodiversity awareness, which culminated in the first International Geodiversity Day on 6 October 2022 being proclaimed by UNESCO at the 41st General Conference 2021. The Geological Heritage programme was established in response to EU legislation transposed in Irish law under the Wildlife Amendment Act 2000 and a need to designate significant geological sites as Natural Heritage Areas. An initial partnership to explore this requirement expanded and changed focus to include the Heritage Council and local authorities through their heritage officers, resulting in a process of county geological heritage audits. These county audits were completed over the intervening years with only counties Cork and Kerry remaining unaudited in 2022. The result of this work is an almost complete national dataset of geological heritage sites in Ireland. This national dataset will provide a significant opportunity to develop new initiatives in the area of geoheritage and geodiversity, not least to highlight the national subset of sites that have been recommended as Natural Heritage Areas to National Parks and Wildlife Service, which will help fulfil the original purpose of the Geological Heritage programme in Geological Survey Ireland. The full dataset will further benefit and support Irish UNESCO Global Geoparks, geotourism initiatives, cultural heritage, local communities and economies, and provide scientific and educational supports and a deeper understanding of the basis on which our biodiversity is built: geodiversity.