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Noting it as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O Brien, today confirmed the State’s purchase of the World Heritage lands of Dowth Hall and demesne, including Netterville, in Co. Meath and the establishment of a new National Park – the Boyne Valley (Brú na Bóinne) National Park.
The property is 552 acres in size, and is a cultural and natural heritage site of national and international importance. It includes Dowth Hall, an eighteenth century neoclassical country house, and Netterville Manor, a late Victorian almshouse. The lands amount to approximately one third of the total area of the UNESCO World Heritage Property of Brú na Bóinne, which includes the great Neolithic passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
This historic purchase, announced in Dowth this morning by Minister O'Brien together with the Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, paves the way for Ireland’s newest National Park - the Boyne Valley (Brú na Bóinne) National Park.
Ireland’s National Parks protect our biodiversity and built heritage, and promote education, research and recreation. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages six National Parks, with Wicklow Mountains National Park the only one in the east of the country. With its diverse, world renowned nature and heritage, Dowth presents a remarkable opportunity to designate a seventh National Park.
The heritage of Dowth spans from early prehistory through to the medieval period, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries right up to the modern era. The diverse range of historical periods reflected in its archaeology and built heritage, along with its natural beauty and biodiversity makes Dowth a unique site within the list of UNESCO World Heritage Properties.
Dowth has been actively managed by Devenish Nutrition over the last decade to preserve its cultural heritage and biodiversity. As well as their position within the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Property, the Dowth lands are important places for nature. They host a wide range of habitats, including species-rich grasslands, native woodlands and mature hedgerows. The Boyne River which runs through the lands is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive, and as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the Birds Directive. The river is home to dozens of bird and animal species, including endangered species. The NPWS will maintain the careful management of the farmlands, habitats and species to date and will work to protect and improve it even further.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service, the National Monuments Service and the Office of Public Works will now work together to deliver a Masterplan for the property that allows for the protection, presentation and management of this area of the Boyne Valley for the people of Ireland. Management of Dowth Hall and lands will form part of the existing Brú na Bóinne Management Plan and strengthen the vision for the protection of Dowth’s remarkable heritage, including the Neolithic passage tomb discovered in 2017 under Dowth Hall itself.
The Masterplan will expand measures and commitments to ensure protection of heritage at the site and to promote and enable the public to enjoy its natural and cultural beauty. It will include concrete proposals which support and build on research, education and public engagement to inform policy and future management of the property and its biodiversity. The plan envisages capacity building in the public, private and research sectors to deliver benefits for archaeology, the farming community and farmland biodiversity. The property also has great potential for engagement with schools, educational bodies, the business sector and the wider public.
Speaking at Dowth Hall this morning, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, said:
"Rarely does the State get an opportunity to acquire lands of such significance. This landscape and property is of exceptional heritage importance. Here in this one place we have over 5000 years of recorded history. In our care, it will significantly enhance our management of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage landscape. We will conserve and protect Dowth’s heritage in line with our obligations to UNESCO and we will enhance responsible tourism, ensuring it becomes a standout destination. This purchase opens up possibilities for us to develop heritage partnerships, protect remarkable heritage and make it accessible. It is simply an outstanding opportunity for an outstanding place."
Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, added:
“This intact 18th century demesne, layered over a monumental prehistoric landscape of global importance and combined with the outstanding natural heritage of the Boyne Valley represents an outstanding addition to Ireland’s family of National Parks. We look forward to sustaining and growing this legacy to ensure that farming, nature and the cultural heritage of this ancient landscape can continue in harmony, as they have done since our ancestors first settled in the Boyne Valley over 5,500 years ago. Through our partnerships with state agencies, departments, local authorities and communities – which are enshrined in Heritage Ireland 2030, our national heritage plan – we are committed to nurturing Dowth as a key pillar of Ireland’s remarkable heritage that we can all admire, be proud of and enjoy.”
Niall O Donnchu, Director General of National Parks and Wildlife Service said:
“The work begins now of developing a Masterplan for Dowth. We will approach this with a keen sense of responsibility, ambition and excitement, knowing that this is a remarkable opportunity for Ireland’s heritage to play a lead role in the regional economy and in place-making for the east of the country. This new National Park is a special place where history, heritage, nature and culture collide. We will work with stakeholders in developing a Masterplan that will deliver on its full potential for locals, visitors and generations to come. I want to pay tribute to our team across the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the National Monuments Services for their work on this acquisition, and on their readiness to take over custodianship of this remarkable place from Devenish who have championed and maintained it with such care over the last ten years."
Minister of State with responsibility for Office of Public Works, Patrick O'Donovan, said:
"Dowth demesne is a key part of the outstanding heritage of the Boyne Valley. It is highly significant that the State will now be able to unite the wider historic landscape to create an extraordinary resource for the enjoyment of current and future generations. The OPW has a long association with this area of Meath, conserving and presenting the extraordinary archaeological, natural and built heritage of both Brú na Bóinne and the Battle of the Boyne site. We are excited to be working with our colleagues in NPWS and the National Monuments Service to secure the future of the incredibly important historic landscape at Dowth. I want to acknowledge the OPW skilled craftsmen and women who, for decades, have conserved, presented and interpreted Brú na Bóinne and who will relish the opportunity to conserve the rich and diverse heritage elements at Dowth."
Owen Brennan, Executive Chairman of Devenish Nutrition said:
“We are very pleased to welcome what is a new and exciting chapter for Dowth and the Boyne Valley. We wish to acknowledge the scale of the opportunity created by the vision of a World Heritage National Park here in Brú na Bóinne led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on behalf of the State for all stakeholders. We wish all concerned every success into the future. We also want to thank everyone who supported Devenish’s efforts in Dowth in so many ways, it is very much appreciated.”
Dowth Hall is a significant estate of approximately 223 Hectares (552 acres) including two country houses (Dowth Hall and Netterville Manor) set within an extensive and important demesne laid out along the River Boyne and valley in County Meath.
Situated fifty-five kilometres from Dublin, Dowth sits within the UNESCO World Heritage Property[1] of Brú na Bóinne, whose three principal megalithic passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth are in the ownership of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and managed on his behalf by the Office of Public Works. Dowth is the largest single landholding within the World Heritage Property.
The State currently owns 43 ha or 6% of the World Heritage Property; namely the passage tombs of Knowth, Dowth, and Newgrange (and their immediate environs). The purchase of Dowth means the State will now care directly for approximately one third of the World Heritage Property, which will enable the State to considerably expand its ability to conserve, protect, and promote access to this World Heritage Property.
In 1991, Ireland ratified the UNESCO ‘Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage’. The Convention reflects the idea that some of our cultural and natural heritage is priceless, irreplaceable and may possess such exceptional qualities that they are considered to have Outstanding Universal Value, making them worthy of protection for the benefit of humanity as a whole.
Brú na Bóinne (circa 780 ha), which encompasses all of the lands at Dowth and Netterville, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. Its monuments represent the largest and most important expression of prehistoric megalithic plastic art in Europe and the concentration of social, economic and funerary monuments at this important ritual centre and the long continuity from prehistory to the late medieval period make this one of the most significant archaeological sites in Europe.
The State is obliged to ensure that the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Property is protected, managed and presented for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The acquisition of Dowth will improve the overall ability of the State to manage this complex World Heritage Property, enhancing its Outstanding Universal Value.
The Boyne Valley (Brú na Bóinne) National Park will be an extraordinary addition to the chain of National Parks in Ireland. Its combination of ancient and modern history, archaeology and built heritage with its myriad of biodiversity, flora and fauna within a World Heritage Property will make this new National Park truly unique.
The National Monuments Service (who are the Focal Point for World Heritage in Ireland), the National Parks and Wildlife Service (who manage Ireland’s National Parks) and the Office of Public Works will together develop a bespoke Masterplan to deliver a vision to protect, manage and promote Dowth’s architectural, archaeological and natural heritage. This will be incorporated into the wider management plan for the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Property.
This will ensure that the new Brú na Bóinne World Heritage National Park is managed as a World Heritage Property an also as a designated Category II National Parks under the criteria set out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).[2]
The lands at Dowth include a broad range of habitats, from grasslands (including improved agricultural, amenity, dry and wet species-rich grasslands), native woodlands and conifer woodlands, and mature hedgerows, to freshwater swamps, reed bed and river courses. Part of the lands are designated Natura 2000 sites, including the River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC (designated for alkaline fens, alluvial forests, river lamprey, salmon and otter) and River Boyne and River Blackwater SPA (designated for kingfisher). These lands support kingfisher and some of the designated habitats. A recent biodiversity survey of the lands reported 54 species of birds, five of which are of high conservation concern, including a population of red-listed and highly threatened native Grey Partridge which is supported by a captive breeding population on site as well as Woodcock, kestrel, swifts, yellowhammer and grey wagtail. Foxes, badger, rabbits, hares, shrews and red deer have also been recorded here along with eleven species of butterfly, eight species of bat and seven species of bee. Foxes, badger, rabbits, hares, shrews and red deer are also present on the lands.
Research conducted indicates that soils of the Boyne Valley landscape have a benign pH due to their calcareous nature and are derived from a fertile glacial till ideal for agricultural production. The soil structure and soil health is largely positive due to appropriate farm management, including measures such as low nutrient inputs and a sward that is rich in plant species. This offers multiple public value such as improved soil biodiversity, reduced greenhouse gas emission. Recent research outputs from the farm suggest this delivers higher quality farm outputs (meat) but with lower carbon emissions. The positive soil health has significant benefits for above-ground biodiversity, from plants and pollinators to birds and mammals. There is scope for further research and a significant body of baseline soil carbon data is now available for use in further research.
There is significant potential at this site to support research, education and public engagement. This will allow for significant capacity building in the private, public and research areas to benefit farmland biodiversity and farmers.
- Research: Significant research outputs have already been generated with potential to inform future policies and management recommendations for biodiversity, water, and climate change in farmland. These include research on the trialling and testing new agri-environment measures, particularly for grassland habitats. They will serve as excellent demonstration sites for engaging and knowledge sharing between government departments, agencies, farmers and farming groups on new agri-environment measures to improve biodiversity, water and carbon emissions on farmland. New areas of research include holistic farming which supports goals for biodiversity, water and climate change in Ireland.
- Education: This research provides opportunities to link in with educational institutions.
- Public Engagement: This will include schools, corporations and the wider public, for example via guided walks, volunteer days and outdoor lessons.
[1] UNESCO uses the term ‘Property’ in a very specific way to define a World Heritage site rather than with reference to ownership.
[2] Note the IUCN along with ICOMOS are Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee.