Grace O'Dea reports

Following presentations on the benefit by Martin Critchley or ERA Maptec Ltd Consultants and the Brian Lucas, Principal Officer for Heritage with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, councillors expressed concerns on how proposals would effect the local community, especially in terms of the graveyard.

"It's welcoming and disturbing news. I'm very sceptical of some of the benefits. I'm trying to protect my flock like any good parish priest. The local community has always been welcoming to heritage bodies but the future burial needs of the people of that area must be considered," said Cllr Connie Hanniffy.

She said local people had the cultural and inherited right to be buried there and expressed concerns about a 'buffer zone'.

"The core zone stretches from Shannonbridge to Clonbonny so its taking in a big chunk of west Offaly. Everyone who looks for planning permission or development is going to be met with the reaction that they are included in the core zone," said Cllr Hanniffy.

She added that people had yet to benefit financially from Clonmacnois and she did not know how being included on the World Heritage List would change this.

Cllr Eamon Dooley said the buffer zone was fairly vague and so far Doon and Ferbane had not benefited. However he said anything that would benefit the infrastructure would be benefited. Cllr Marcella Corcoran Kennedy said she broadly welcomed it but said that locals needed to have burial grounds.

Cllr Tom Feighery said no doubt it would be of enormous benefit to the county and country. "It's important we allow life to go on there in much the same way as it has. Unfortunately the burial ground is already full and probably wasn't controlled properly in the many years it's been open. People should be allowed to build locally."

Cllr Johnny Butterfield asked 'where the hell' are people meant to live and work when they can't develop in the callows of the Slieve Blooms. He added it was an old tradition that everyone buried in Clonmacnoise goes straight to heaven, and he might look for a plot there himself.

Martin Critchley from ERA Maptec LTD who gave the presentation said the burial ground was already full and the new graveyard only had around 30 plots left. He said it was the responsibility of the local authority to provide a site for a new graveyard. He said a buffer zone was required to protect the core zone and the buffer zone was being discussed with Bord na Mona.

The council said planning restrictions were already in place in the that area and inclusion on the list would not make any difference to that status.

Cllrs were outraged to learn a public consultation was taking place in Clonfanlough Hall that evening."Where was that advertised" they asked to which they were told by a Department representative "in parish bulletins, local papers and the local radio". Cllrs said they had not seen it in bulletins, read it in the papers or heard it on the radio.
The highly prestigious World Heritage List (WHL) comprises sites of outstanding universal value to all humankind: cultural, natural or mixed.

To date there are two World Heritage Sites (WHS) in the Republic of Ireland. Bru na Boinne/Archaeological Complex of the Bend of the Boyne was inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 1993. Skellig Michael was inscribed in 1996.

The Department is now preparing a Nomination Document and Management Plan for Clonmacnoise, County Offaly, with a view to submission for WHS inscription. Clonmacnoise is an area of both natural and cultural significance and for this reason will be submitted for inclusion on the WHS List as a mixed site.

Clonmacnoise is located alongside the river Shannon, a major routeway of national importance and the largest river in both Ireland and Britain and at the point where the 'Eiscir Raida' (Great Road) which linked east and west in Early Christian Ireland, crosses the Shannon.

The cultural elements consist of an ecclesiastic foundation. A monastery was founded here in 548-9 by St Ciaran and the remains of eight religious buildings survive representing various styles of architecture spanning the period from the 10th to the 17th centuries. Three highly decorated stone crosses from 9th and 10th centuries survive along with very fine examples of ornately carved graveslabs spanning the 8th to 12th centuries.

The area also preserves a rich and varied natural environment which includes a glacial landscape of eskers, semi-natural woodlands, large tracts of bogland, a raised limestone pavement and the river callows. Those in turn support a variety of plant and animal life including many rare species.

It's hoped to have the site, which brings 160,000 visitors annually to the area, will be listed by July 2010.