Published: Wednesday, 21st April, 2010 5:30pm

Clonmacnois on UNESCO bid list twice this year

The bid to make Clonmacnoise a World Heritage UNESCO Site is officially back on the government's agenda, as it submitted a tentative list to UNESCO this week.

The ancient site is included twice on the list this year, once by itself and again grouped with other 'Early Medieval Monastic Sites'.

Perhaps in a reference to last year's debacle, when the Clonmacnois submission bid was met with strong local opposition from people of Offaly, Westmeath and Roscommon hugely concerned about burial, access and religious rights, farming restrictions on the buffer zone surrounding the site and planning restrictions, the Minister said consultation will take place.

"The nomination of any property, from the new tentative list, for inscription on the World Heritage List will only take place after consultation with relevant stakeholders and interested parties. It is envisaged that such consultation will take place through a partnership established for each proposed nomination," Minister Gormley emphasised.

"We must remember our unique culture and heritage is one of our most valuable assets which deserves to be shared internationally. Inscription on the World Heritage List allows us to showcase this asset."

A meeting between the Clonmacnois Action Group and the Department's principal officer Brian Lucas, is due to take place this month.

In the list, Clonmacnois is described as an outstanding example of a relict early medieval insular monastic city "unobscured" by modern building development.

"The interaction between man and the natural environment in Clonmacnois is of unique universal value. The architectural ensemble at Clonmacnois represents an outstanding example of an early medieval Insular monastic city."

The World Heritage Committee will meet on July 25 to August 3 in Brasilia.

The 2010 Tentative List contains seven properties; The Burren, Céide Fields and NW Mayo Boglands, The Monastic City of Clonmacnoise and its Cultural Landscape, The Historic City of Dublin, Early Medieval Monastic Sites (Clonmacnoise, Durrow, Glendalough, Inis Cealtra, Kells and Monasterboice), The Royal Sites of Ireland (Cashel, Dún Ailinne, Hill of Uisneach, Rathcroghan Complex and Tara Complex) and the Western Stone Forts.