The complicated interplay between the preservation and protection
of cultural heritage on the one hand and the priorities of local communities on
the other was brought to light this week in the Republic
of Ireland. Fifty kilometres north
of Dublin sits the largest and most
important concentration of prehistoric megalithic art in Europe.
Brú na Bóinne, or the Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend
of the Boyne, which was inscribed as a world heritage site in
1993.
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| Brú na Bóinne (credit:Pasztilla at Hungarian Wikipedia) |
Today, some local residents are complaining about what they
consider to be a heavy-handed approach by the Department of Arts, Heritage and
the Gaeltacht, resulting in a highly restrictive approach to the granting of new
building permits. While talk of these restrictions leading to the creation of
"dead zones" in the countryside sounds alarmist, the issue highlights
the recurring challenge of securing - and sustaining - buy-in on the part of
those living near a world heritage site.
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| Rock art at Brú na Bóinne (credit: Barbara and Eugenio) |
Often framed as a problem that is particularly acute in poorer
countries - where local populations may be marginalized or even forcibly
displaced as a result of a heritage designation, the problem can arouse equally
strong emotions in a rich world context, as we are seeing here.
The challenge, as always, is to chart a course whch takes into account the legitimate concerns of local populations whose goodwill can help significantly in managing and protecting a world heritage site, while ensuring that the broader public interest in preserving heritage for future generations is maintained.
