RAHAN MONASTIC SITE - Offaly County Council

6.9 Monitoring6.0 CONSERVATION POLICIESPolicy 9: Monitoring of cracksThe cracks running up the face of the chancel arch need to be monitored and assessed. 3D Laser scanning ofthe chancel arch will provide baseline data to measure and monitor any changes in the cracks to the stonecarvings.6.10 InterpretationThe present interpretation of the site is limited to on-site display panels.Policy 10a: InterpretationOn site interpretative material should be updated to reflect the information gathered as part of the ConservationPlan. The understanding about the phasing of the building revealed through analysis of the masonry should bemade available to the public. The existing panels should be replaced with updated material. An online resourcewith information about the monument should be considered as this will make information available withouthaving a negative visual impact on the site. The Romanesque carvings at Rahan are currently being recorded forthe Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland and will be available on the internet at the websitewww.crsbi.ac.uk in 2008 (pers. comm. Dr Rachel Moss). To encourage further interpretation and disseminationof information on the Romanesque architecture at Rahan an academic conference should be organised within thecounty with the aim of publishing the seminar papers. This conference would enable modern scholars to placeRahan within its context from a regional, national and international perspective, thereby replacing the valuablebut outdated historical analysis of previous generations.Policy 10b: 3D Documentation of Romanesque SculptureThe circular window, along with all other stone carvings at Rahan, could be recorded using a high resolution3D laser scanner in order to produce accurate 3D images of all the stone carvings. The laser scanning will alsoensure that there is a valuable accurate record of these fragile carvings, which are continually being eroded dueto natural weathering. The 3D models could be uploaded onto the internet creating an interactive virtual galleryof the Romanesque carvings. The interactive gallery will enable the user to measure and manipulate the imagesin a 3D format.Policy 10c: Further archaeological researchThere is scope to carry out further geophysics and test trenching of the interior of the northern porticus, toestablish the extent of the twelfth century chapel wall and potential burials contemporary with it.Policy 10d: Organise Academic Conference about RahanMost of the published material on Rahan is now out of date and is not in keeping with the current academic researchthat has been carried out by various Art History Departments of Universities in Ireland and abroad. To further theunderstanding of Rahan it would be desirable to organise a one day conference in Offaly where leading academicsin the field of Romanesque architecture could deliver papers on Rahan. These papers could then be published andwould form a corpus of modern academic information accessible to the general public.69