Chapter 10: Heritage, Culture and Arts

Over the lifetime of the current Development Plan 2017-2023 the impact of climate change on the heritage resource has come to the fore. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has developed the Built and Archaeological Heritage Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan which aims to improve understanding of the heritage resource and its vulnerability to climate change impacts in order to plan for climate change adaptation. Fingal County Council's Climate Change Action Plan 2019- 2024 includes measures for archaeological heritage including undertaking a Climate Change Risk Assessment of Fingal’s Cultural Heritage to identify and survey the architectural and archaeological heritage sites and designed landscapes at risk.

10.3  Opportunities

Heritage, Culture and the Arts are part of our identity, part of the distinctive character, vibrancy and attractiveness of where we come from or the places we live and work in and plays a significant role in drawing visitors to the area. The archaeological, architectural and vernacular heritage of Fingal is an irreplaceable and finite resource. The Council is dedicated to protecting, conserving and presenting the County’s rich cultural heritage while promoting sustainable economic development and the enrichment of the environment. The retention and adaptive re-use of the County’s built heritage with the embodied carbon contained within it and full building life cycle costs taken into consideration will be a key contributor to addressing the Council’s climate change and sustainable development goals. The Council also actively supports the installation of and commissioning of performance of artworks within the public realm, public buildings, large infrastructure or building developments.

The Council’s vision is Conserve, manage, protect and enhance the archaeological, architectural and cultural heritage of the County, which are valuable and finite resources, through good management, sensitive interventions and sympathetic development and to acknowledge, support and reinforce the integral role heritage, culture and the arts play in sustaining and creating attractive, vibrant and engaging places to live, work and enjoy.

10.4  Strategic Aims

Heritage and culture are embedded in planning policy at national and regional levels through the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES).

The National Planning Framework identifies heritage as a strategic investment priority, recognising ‘Enhanced Amenities and Heritage’ as a National Strategic Outcome and emphasising that our built, natural, and cultural heritage ‘has intrinsic value in defining the character of urban and rural areas and adding to their attractiveness and sense of place’. The NPF includes several National Policy Objectives (NPOs) which relate directly to or could incorporate heritage such as NPO16, NPO17, NPO23, NPO29, NPO60 and NPO61. Some of these are set out below:

• NPO 17: Enhance, integrate and protect the special physical, social, economic and cultural value of built heritage assets through appropriate and sensitive use now and for future generations;  
• NPO 29 is to "Support the implementation of language plans in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks";
• NPO 60: Conserve and enhance the rich qualities of natural and cultural heritage of Ireland in a manner appropriate to their significance.

 If Trees Could Talk, an arts-in-education by artist Louis Haugh & Anne Bradley

The RSES sets out Regional Strategic Outcomes which are aligned with international, EU and national policy and specifically identifies ‘Creative Places’ as one of these outcomes. It recognises the need to enhance, integrate and protect our arts, culture and heritage assets to promote creative places and heritage led regeneration. Sustaining and investing in cultural infrastructure is a core consideration of the Strategy and it directs that “Good heritage management should be incorporated into spatial planning to promote the benefits of heritage led urban regeneration in historic towns, for example through the protection of historic urban fabric, the reuse of historic buildings and the enhancement of places of special cultural or natural interest.” There are seven Regional Policy Objectives (RPO) assigned to arts, culture, language and heritage (RPO 9.24 to RPO 9.30), two of these RPOs are set out below.

• RPO 9.25: Seek to work with all relevant stakeholders to promote equality of access to and engagement with arts and cultural services and in the promotion of culture and heritage led urban and rural regeneration
• RPO 9.30: Support the sensitive reuse of protected structures.

Heritage Ireland 2030 will shortly replace the National Heritage Plan (2002) with updated national policy priorities in relation to the protection and management of our national heritage (built, cultural and natural). A new National Policy on Architecture is due for publication soon that will support long- term planning strategies for the creation of sustainable communities, environmental resilience, urban regeneration, Town Centre First policy, and re-use of vacant historic buildings. A National Vernacular Strategy for the built vernacular is also due to be launched to provide direction on understanding, protecting and maintaining the modest everyday buildings constructed using traditional methods and materials. These documents are underpinned by the core principle that heritage belongs to us all and we all share a responsibility to protect it.

10.5  Policies and Objectives

Fingal’s heritage is part of our identity and contributes significantly to our wellbeing and our sense of place. It encompasses our archaeological, built, cultural (tangible and intangible) and natural heritage. The Council is committed to the protection and conservation of Fingal’s heritage including buildings, areas, structures, sites and features of archaeological, architectural, historical, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest.
 

The Fingal Heritage Plan 2018-2023 provides strategic support to the Council and other stakeholders by delivering or contributing to a wide range of initiatives aimed at improving the protection, management, understanding and appreciation of our heritage. The Fingal Heritage Plan identifies opportunities to raise awareness, engage communities and provides support to connect with our past and present.

10.5.1  Archaeological Heritage

Fingal has a wealth of archaeological sites and monuments, over 1262 of which have been recorded to date. All of these sites contain precious information about our past and those people who lived in Fingal before us. Added to this are our burials, shipwrecks, structures, features objects and artefacts, whether located on land, underwater or in the inter-tidal zone. Fingal’s archaeological heritage is an important resource for identity, communities, education and tourism and has a powerful contribution to make to the quality of life of today’s citizens in terms of social inclusion, environmental protection and sustainable development.

Archaeological heritage, whether known, newly discovered, or yet to be discovered, is protected by the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014. The European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage known as the Valletta Convention (1992) remains the core text for the protection of management of archaeological heritage across the 45 European countries which have to date signed and ratified it. The convention has been transposed at a national level into the Framework and Principles for the Protection of Archaeological Heritage (1999). Archaeological heritage is also protected under various legislation including the National Monuments Acts (1930 – 2014), Natural Cultural Institutions Act 1997 and the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and through aspects of EU environmental law.

10.5.1.1  Record of Monuments and Places (RMP)

The principal legal mechanism for the protection of archaeological monuments is the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) which was established under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994. Section 12 (3) of the 1994 Act provides that the owner or occupier of a monument included in the Record or any person who proposes to carry out, or to cause or permit the carrying out of any work at or in relation to such a monument, he or she shall give notice in writing to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of the proposed works at least two months in advance and shall not, except in the case of urgent necessity and with the consent of the Minister, commence the work until two months after the giving of notice. The Zone of Notification is identified on www.archaeology.ie. To note certain structures in Fingal are of both archaeological and architectural interest and appear on both the Record of Monuments and Places/Sites and Monuments Record (Appendix 6) and the Record of Protected Structures (Appendix 5).

10.5.1.2  National Monuments

Under Section 14 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004, a National Monument is a monument in the ownership or guardianship of the Minister of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in the ownership of a Local Authority, or are the subject of a Preservation Order or a Temporary Preservation Order. The full list of National Monuments is available at https://www.archaeology.ie/publications-forms-legislation/record-of-monuments-and-places. A separate list is available documenting those in State care, ownership or guardianship at: https://www.archaeology.ie/sites/default/files/media/pdf/monuments-in-state-care-dublin.pdf. Prior written consent from the Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is required for any works at or in relation to all National Monuments.

10.5.1.3  Sites and Monuments Record (SMR)

The Sites and Monuments Record is an online database maintained by the NMS of all known or suspected archaeological sites and monuments. The Historic Environment Viewer (HEV) is the National Monuments Service’s online interactive map/search facility, providing access to all records stored on its national database of sites and monuments. Although the archaeological resource is finite sites continue to be discovered. Where new development is being considered, it is therefore advisable to visit the HEV at https://maps.archaeology.ie/HistoricEnvironment/ in order to assess the archaeological potential of a site.

10.5.1.4  Underwater Archaeology

Fingal’s off-shore and coastal waters, tidal estuaries and rivers have a diverse and interesting range of features and finds associated with its maritime/riverine heritage such as shipwrecks, piers, quay walls, fords, stepping stones. Section 3 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1987 makes specific provisions for the protection of shipwrecks and underwater archaeological objects, whereby, all wrecks over 100-years old are legally protected. Wreck Inventory of Ireland Database (WIID) which holds records of over 18,000 known and potential wreck sites and this is used as a tool to help manage and protect historic wrecks https://archaeology.ie/underwater-archaeology/wreck-viewer. Development in off-shore and coastal waters, tidal estuaries and rivers areas which have the potential to impact on both known and potential terrestrial and underwater archaeology will require appropriate intertidal and underwater archaeological assessment.

10.5.2  Architectural Heritage

Fingal has a diverse building stock. Within the range of building types and uses in Fingal are structures, streetscapes, village and town cores of distinctive, innovative or rare architectural heritage significance that they are deemed worthy of protection by statutory designation as individual elements or clusters of buildings. There are also more modest or everyday structures that are part of the built heritage of the County. Through their form, scale, materials and placement they contribute positively to the urban and rural areas of Fingal, assisting in placemaking and establishing the distinctive character and architectural interest of a particular location. These structures are also of value in the embodied energy they contain, their display of traditional building craftmanship and skill in their construction, the survival within them of original or historic materials and methodologies some of which may no longer be in use. Fingal’s architectural heritage is a finite, non-renewable and irreplaceable resource that needs to be cared for and respected as Fingal develops and grows into the future. Any new insertions or changes to the architectural heritage should be directed by the following principles.

Table 10.1 Guiding Principle of Architectural Conservation

Architectural heritage is primarily protected under Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). There are two principal mechanisms within this legislation for the protection of these assets: The Record of Protected Structures (RPS) and Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs). It is a mandatory requirement of national legislation that the Council maintains a RPS and includes objectives for ACAs in its Development Plan. For built heritage that is not covered by statutory designations there is national and international policy advocating its retention and revitalisation and so the Council supports this through specific Development Plan policy and objectives.

10.5.2.1  Statutory Designated Sites of Protected Structures and Architectural Conservation Areas, Record of Protected Structures

Protected Structures are defined as structures, or parts of structures that are of special interest under one or more of the following categories: architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical. A Protected Structure, unless otherwise stated, includes the exterior and interior of the structure, the land lying within its curtilage, any other structures and their exterior and interiors lying within that curtilage, plus all fixtures and features which form part of the interior or exterior of any of these structures. Curtilage refers to the parcel of land immediately associated with the Protected Structure and generally forms the boundary of the property ownership. Any works that would materially affect or impact the character of a Protected Structure, including its setting and ancillary buildings that contribute to its character, require planning permission. A Declaration under Section 57 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 can be sought from the Council to list the general types of work that do and do not affect the character of a specific Protected Structure.
 

The current RPS is included in Appendix 5 of this Plan. The RPS may be varied at any time by following the procedures outlined in Section 55 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended). The up-to-date RPS, incorporating any additions or deletions within the lifetime of the current Development Plan, will be maintained on the Council’s website or can be checked at the public counter of the Council’s Offices.

10.5.2.2  Architectural Conservation Area (ACA)

An Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) is a place, area, group of structures or townscape that is of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest or value or contributes to the appreciation of Protected Structures. ACAs could encompass, for example, a terrace of houses, a whole streetscape, town centre or a small cluster of structures associated with a specific building such as a mill or country house. Most structures in an ACA are important in the context of their contribution to the streetscape or character of an area and so the protection status generally relates only to the exterior of the buildings or the streetscape, except for Protected Structures within ACAs where the protection extends to the interior and curtilage of these properties. Any works that would have a material effect on the special character of an ACA require planning permission.

Fingal Currently has 32 Architectural Conservation Areas. Each ACA boundary is outlined on the Development Plan maps that accompany this written statement. A list of all the ACAs along with a brief summary of their special character is set out in Appendix 5. Individual ACA boundary maps are also provided within Appendix 5.

Chapter 14 Development Management Standards contains specific direction and considerations for planning applications affecting Protected Structures  (see Table 14.20 & Table 14.22) and development within Architectural Conservation Areas  (see Table 14.23). These standards should be consulted prior to a scheme being designed.

10.5.2.3  Energy Retrofitting of Built Heritage

The reuse or continued use of older buildings is a central principle of sustainable development and energy conservation practice, ensuring the building materials and embodies energy of these structures, is retained and thereby contribute to the remission of the County’s carbon footprint. Embodied energy or embodies carbon refers to carbon already expanded to extract, process, manufacture, transport and construct a building.

Energy retrofitting is the adaption of existing buildings to improve the thermal performance of the structure and to reduce energy consumption and emissions. The majority of Fingal’s built heritage was constructed using traditional building methods and materials that are based on the idea of breathability and good ventilation, allowing for a cycle of absorption and evaporation of moisture. This concept differs from modern construction which primarily uses impermeable materials. The rating of the energy performance of older buildings often does not accurately reflect the existing thermal performance of older buildings. Energy efficiency and retrofitting proposals and products that are appropriate for modern construction are often not suitable for traditionally built structures and can dis-improve the energy performance and cause damage to the fabric and structural integrity of the building by trapping moisture. Any energy up-grading of traditional buildings needs to be informed by a proper understanding of the built fabric and for the works to be appropriate and sensitive to this. The condition of the building is a key contributor to good thermal performance and so routine maintenance, conservation and building repair should be completed before other energy retrofitting options considered.
 

Also reference policy and objectives in Chapter 3 Sustainable Placemaking and Quality Homes on Re- use and on Rural Settlement Strategy, Chapter 5 Climate Change on Sustainable Construction/Circular Economy. In addition direction should be taken from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s publication on Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings (2010 and its update due imminently), I.S. EN 16883:2017 Conservation of Cultural Heritage- Guidelines for Improving the Energy Performance of Historic Building (2017), The Pebble Trust and Chris Morgan Sustainable Renovation: Improving Homes for Energy, Health and Environment (2018), and SEAI, The Heritage Council, Carrig Conservation Ltd. and ICOMOS report Deep Energy Renovation of Traditional Buildings (2018).

10.5.2.4  Historic Designed Landscapes – Historic Gardens, Demesnes and Country Estates

Historic designed landscapes relate to gardens, parkland, woodland, estates, and public parks that were deliberately laid out for artistic effect. By using both natural and built features such as trees, shrubs, flowers, lawns, ponds, watercourses, views/vistas, follies, statues, walled gardens, gate lodges or gates, an architectural and horticultural composition was created for the enjoyment of the owners or the general public. These landscapes or gardens could be formal set pieces with ornamental planting in set patterns usually geometric designs or they could be ‘naturalised’ parkland made to look like the rural countryside but which had been carefully planned through the placement of individual or groups of trees, expanses of open lawns, and sunken boundary walls known as ‘ha-has’ that allowed uninterrupted views of pastoral scenes

The architectural components of historic gardens, from small gardens to large parks, include:

• Plan and topography,
• Vegetation e.g. species, proportions, colour schemes, spacing and respective heights,
• Structural and decorative features,
• Water

Fingal does not have a tradition of urban public parks or cemetery gardens and so the designed landscapes of the County consist primarily of demesnes or estate lands, which were originally privately owned. These designed landscapes are generally focused around a historic house, which usually will be a Protected Structure. In Fingal the most significant designed landscapes have been designated as Architectural Conservation Areas to assist in protecting the character of the designed landscape e.g. Malahide Castle Demesne, Luttrellstown Castle Demesne, Newbridge House Demesne. Due to the rarity of 18th century or earlier designed landscapes those that survive in Fingal are highly significant and sensitive.
 

Chapter 14 Development Management Standards contains specific guidance for planning applications affecting historic designed landscapes which should be adhered to (see Objective DMS0190). Additional direction is available in the in the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2011 or any superseding documents) and in Cork County Council’s Guidance Notes for the Appraisal of Historic Gardens, Demesnes, Estates and their Setting (2006).

10.5.2.5  Vernacular Heritage and Other Built Heritage Assets

Built heritage is not confined to buildings, features and items designated as Protected Structures or located within Architectural Conservation Areas. Scattered throughout the countryside and within the towns and villages of Fingal is an extensive stock of modest older buildings and structures some of which have been designed by an architect or engineer while others are vernacular structures built to no formal plans using traditional building types and materials. While not all older buildings may be of sufficient special interest to be designated Protected Structures, generally their form, scale, materials, detailing and planned layout contribute positively to the rural landscape or to the historic villages and towns of Fingal, adding architectural interest, historic character and visual amenity throughout the County. The embodied carbon contained within the older building stock combined with full building life cycle cost considerations mean that their retention and continued use or reuse exemplifies sustainable development and best energy conservation practice, which is supported by national and regional policy.

10.6 Industrial Heritage

The sites, structures, machinery, artefacts and plant associated with manufacturing, transportation, communications, construction, public utilities, raw material extraction and production form our industrial heritage. Rapid advancements and developments in engineering and technology have left much of our historic industrial heritage obsolete and under threat from dereliction, demolition or unsympathetic adaption. Industrial buildings were constructed to meet the requirements of a specialised function and so the dimensions of spaces, layout and sometimes the location of these structures can be unusual and challenging to adapt to different uses. An understanding of the significance of the structure and any surviving machinery and/ or plant should inform the design of any redevelopment. Examples of the industrial heritage of Fingal include the historic railway structures, harbours, lighthouses, bridges, milestones, factories, mills, weirs, lime kilns, forges and windmills spread throughout the whole of the County.

10.7 Climate Change and Heritage

Climate change relates to long-term alterations in regional and global climate patterns which is affecting existing environments and resulting in more extreme weather events. Climate change impacts on the historic environment and cultural heritage directly through the loss or damage of archaeology, older structures and historic landscapes resulting from severe weather incidents, coastal erosion and rising sea levels. Gradual environmental changes can also require increased or different maintenance regimes, impact the availability of traditional building materials, lead to structural issues arising from soil shrinkage and affect the survival of planting schemes and mature trees in designed landscapes. To address these the Council needs to make provision for risk assessments, disaster risk management planning, maintenance regimes, reduction of carbon emissions and improved energy performance of the existing building stock. The National Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan for Built and Archaeological Heritage (2021) sets out specific goals and actions to build adaptive capacity within this sector and reduce its vulnerability to climate change. The Council is already delivering on several of these through the implementation of the Fingal Climate Action Plan 2019-2024 which includes actions relating to the historic environment. The Council has also carried out the Fingal Cultural Heritage and Climate Change Risk Assessment (2021) to understand the vulnerability of Fingal’s Cultural Heritage to climate hazards.
 

An Urgent Enquiry, Special Area of Conservation, A Public Art Commission by artists Joanna Hopkins and Mary Conroy

10.8 Access to the Heritage Resource

The protection and conservation of the archaeological and built heritage will be best achieved through the recognition and appreciation of it by all sections of society. It is important that awareness of the location and significance of protected sites and structures and that these are conserved and presented to the highest quality. The Council can improve awareness of and access to heritage through production of relevant publications and guidance notes, the running of exhibitions and seminars, the development of cultural tourism products and can provide digital access through interactive maps, videos, virtual exhibitions, and podcasts. In addition. the means of access to monuments currently accessible can be preserved and improved to Council owned sites. While the Council cannot provide public access to private property, if requested it can offer advice and guidance to privately owned protected sites and structures that are open to the public on how to sensitively adapt their properties to enhance access for all.

10.9 Culture

Culture is defined by UNESCO as ‘a set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, that encompasses, not only art and literature but lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs’. Participation in cultural activities, as recognised in the Government policy document Culture 2025, can contribute to social cohesion, reduce isolation and enrich all our lives. The three fundamental principles of national policy are to a) Recognise the value of culture and creativity to the individual and society b) Support creative practice and cultural participation and c) Cherish our cultural heritage. Intangible cultural heritage such as folklore, traditions, skills, instruments and cultural spaces are part of the identity and distinctive character of Fingal. Although there is a challenge in protecting cultural assets there is an opportunity to expand the range of spaces and places available to allow the pace of cultural growth match our population growth. The objective of the RSES is to "enhance, integrate and protect our arts, culture and heritage assets to promote creative places and heritage led regeneration".

10.9.1 Cultural Infrastructure

Cultural infrastructure is a key social asset that must be planned for in the same way as we do for our water supply, our transport, our parks and our built heritage. Culture infrastructure can be defined as ‘the buildings, structures and places/spaces where culture is either experienced, participated in, showcased, exhibited or sold and places of creative production where creative work is made by artists, performers, makers or manufacturers’. Culture also contributes to the economic growth of Fingal through attracting tourists and visitors through its cultural activities and attractions; providing

employment and spin off economic benefits to other sectors including food and beverage, retail and the taxi industry. Cultural engagement and investment have the potential to provide skilled employment.

10.10 Language Heritage

As outlined in the Government publication Infheistíocht inár gCultúr, inár dTeanga agus inár nOidhreacht Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage, 2018 – 2027; a key objective of Project Ireland 2040 is to provide better social, economic and cultural infrastructure, including providing more opportunities to enjoy our cultural heritage and language. The Council has an important role to play in the promotion of the Irish language in the County through organising events such as Seachtain na Gaeilge and other initiatives, through support for Irish language names for new residential developments, in the provision of bilingual directional signage and in the translation of public documents published by the Council. The Council will continue to support initiatives at County level to strengthen bilingualism in the County.

10.11 Multi-Culturalism

An increasingly diverse migrant population consisting of a range of nations, ethnicities, and religions has called Fingal home in recent decades. This adds a diversity and richness to our lived experience and worldview and is part of our evolving cultural heritage. The Migration and Diversity profile of Census 2016 indicates that 46,909 non-Irish people are resident in Fingal comprising just over 16% of the population. Fingal County Council has appointed an Integration Officer to coordinate the goals of the Fingal Migrant Integration and Social Cohesion Strategy 2019-2024.

10.12  Arts

Arts is defined by the Arts Act 2003 as "any creative or interpretive expression (whether traditional or contemporary) in whatever form, and including, in particular, visual arts, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera, film, circus and architecture and including any medium when used for those purposes". Allowing space for artists to work and live within Fingal is vital to maintaining a vibrant artistic community as part of the cultural life of the County. The Council through its Arts Office seeks to promote the cultural life of the County and increase accessibility to arts and culture facilities for all members of the community.

Assemble - A Film Trilogy a public art commission by artist Anthony Haughey & the Global Migration Collective