archaeological & built heritage assessment - The Heritage Council

of the era by providing an overview of its content and/or a replica of the Annals to be housed on the
island.
Regarding all fourteen urban settlements that have been examined for this study, there is very little
knowledge of what exactly was happening in the Early Medieval period in each area. Although there are
recorded early medieval settlements in surrounding regions of these urban areas in the form of ringforts
and enclosures, there are few readily available early medieval references to what may have existed at
these important centres in terms of locally-based leading Gaelic septs and the use thereof of the adjacent
waterway. It should also be noted that little is known of the conservation works carried out at Trinity
Island and Church Island on Lough Key following excavation programmes. These were important late
medieval ecclesiastical centres and it is paramount that information regarding their past be made easily
accessible to all. As a result, it is recommended that both financial and informative support be provided by
the relevant authorities for future research into the little known factors of settlement development at the
urban centres of the waterway corridor during the early medieval period, thus providing an impetus for
creating awareness and educational benefit to the local communities and the tourist industry.
It is noted that several urban centres located within the study area came to the fore during the post
medieval period such as Roosky, Strokestown, Drumkeeran, Dowra, Drumod, Arigna and Knockvicar,
mainly due to industrial and economic factors. In comparison to regions of the lower Shannon and the
midlands of Ireland, the study area was not a major focus of intense industrial revolution. Despite these
low numbers, it is known that sites of industrial heritage significance are potentially vulnerable to the loss
and degradation of those attributes that make them special. Threats include unsympathetic
redevelopment, demolition and neglect. Industrial sites in urban areas are under most threat due to their
generally derelict state and the fact that they lie on prime development land. This is exemplified by the
scant remains of Carricknabrack Mills at Drumshanbo where redevelopment has left little trace of what
was the original built structure. However defunct industrial sites can have a future, as has been
demonstrated at Drumcree Mills which have been converted into a dwelling. In many instances, defunct
sites lie neglected and a significant number of mills have already disappeared for this reason (Knockadryan
Mills were not located during field survey). The surviving examples are difficult to adapt to new uses due
to their inaccessible location, derelict state and/or function-specific design (as at Drumristin Mills). Since
such threats are heightened by a general lack of public awareness of the role of industrial heritage in
characterising a region’s built heritage and shedding light on its social, economic and industrial
development a move must be made to enhance the importance of these urban centres in industrial terms.
It is interesting to note that of all seventy-six industrial sites, (twelve of which are also RMPs), only six are
listed as protected structures. These include the Old Barrel Store and market yard and buildings at
Carrick-on-Shannon, and three bridges and lakeshore quays within Rockingham park. Strictly speaking the
latter are probably better classified as demesne features and as such there is a distinct lack of statutory
protection for industrial sites located within the study area.
Hartley bridge is of cultural heritage importance since it is a very early example of the use of reinforced
concrete, dating back to 1912-15. However, there are proposals in place to remove it following an
assessment made on its condition and functionality as a road bridge. Due to its poor state of repair it is
likely that the structure will not be allocated protection under the RPS, however it must be ensured that a
full drawn, written and photographic survey be undertaken in advance of any future development works
and that these details be archived and made fully accessible to the public.
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