Director warns that Ceide Fields Unesco application will be 'onerous'
Ceide Fields, overlooking the ocean near Ballycastle, contains the oldest stone walled fields in the world.
The Director of Services for the Ballina Municipal District (MD) has said she will support renewed efforts to have the Céide Fields designated as a Unesco Heritage Site but warned that it is "not just a badge you put on".
Catherine McConnell made the comments at last week’s Ballina MD meeting following queries from councillors about Mayo County Council’s decision not to push forward with a nomination for the North Mayo neolithic site due to a lack of “unanimous local public support” at the time.
In 2019, the Government announced a call for nominations for a new list of tentative sites to be proposed for the Unesco designation, but the council did not nominate the Céide Fields, having previously done so in 2010. The issue has become publicised in recent weeks following an article in a national newspaper.
Ms McConnell said the application process is currently closed and will take a lot of effort when it does reopen.
“If there is an appetite in the local community, we will apply. It is an onerous process that takes a great deal of effort and involvement from both the local community and from the local authority,” she said. “It is not just a badge you can put on and take off.”
Cllr Michael Loftus urged the council to reach out to the local community in Ballycastle about the issue.
