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Mr Michael Finneran, TD, Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal,
& Developing Areas has launched the Department�s�
Architectural Heritage Survey of County Sligo and the associated
book - An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of
County Sligo.
The Minister said - �The Department has published this book
to help develop an awareness of our architectural heritage.
It is written in a style which will appeal to people who are
not professionals in this area, it is beautifully illustrated
and it gives a short historical background to the Sligo buildings
it features.�
Speaking in County Hall, Minister Finneran made reference
to some highlights in terms of architectural heritage throughout
the county - �The county has a notable collection of country
houses and demesnes of national importance - including the
historic Lissadell House, ancestral home of the Gore-Booth
family and associated with Constance Markievicz and the poet
WB Yeats and Markree Castle, by the noted architect Francis
Johnston.�
The Minister went on to comment on the striking coastal features
around Sligo, �Around the coast, harbours were built which
greatly assisted fishermen and, in some places, contributed
to the development of small holiday resorts. Mullaghmore and
the small harbour at Raghley are just some examples. In the
nineteenth century, other measures were implemented to achieve
greater safety for mariners including - Black Rock Lighthouse,
erected in 1819, with high quality of limestone masonry. The
Metal Man on Perch Rock off Oyster Island has become one of
the coastline�s more distinctive features.�
The Minister acknowledged the County Council's work in terms
of best practice in architecture - highlighting the sensitive
adaptation of heritage buildings for new uses. �Finding appropriate
new uses for old buildings is very important, of course. In
that context, I would also like to acknowledge the work of
the County Council in their two relatively recently-completed
projects of the Model Arts and Niland Centre and Teach Laighne
in Tobbercurry, where old buildings have been adapted to give
striking, modern facilities.�
On publication of the surveys, the Minister for the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government formally recommends to the planning
authority that structures identified as being of Regional
importance or higher be included in the city or county�s Records
of Protected Structures (RPS). The RPS is the record which
planning authorities are obliged to maintain under the Planning
and Development Act 2000 which confers certain legal protections
on such structure. A total of 803 structures in the survey
of County Sligo are rated as being of regional or higher importance.
Structures on the RPS can qualify for grant assistance for
conservation works. The Minster made reference to the record
increase in such assistance in 2007. �The Department�
funds a scheme of grants for the conservation of protected
buildings, which is administered by the local authorities.
This year, nearly €7m has been allocated to local authorities
to support the conservation of protected structures - a 17%
increase over the amount spent in 2007. The increased funding
will allow local authorities to support a greater number of
projects in 2008.�
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