SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
or not forming part of the ground, that has been artificially carved, sculptured or worked upon or which (where it does not form part of the place where it is) appears to have been purposely put or arranged in position; any, or any part of any, prehistoric or ancient tomb, grave or burial deposit, or, ritual, industrial or habitation site; and any place comprising the remains or traces of any such building, structure or erection, any such cave, stone or natural product or any such tomb, grave, burial deposit or ritual, industrial or habitation site, situated on land or in the territorial waters of the State’, but excludes ‘any building or part of any building, that is habitually used for ecclesiastical purposes’ (National Monuments Acts 1930-2004). A recorded monument is a monument included in the list and marked on the map, which comprises the RMP set out county by county under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994 by the Archaeological Survey of Ireland. The definition includes Zones of Notification within which requirements for notifications of proposed works apply. A Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) 55 is a manual containing a numbered list of all certain and possible monuments accompanied. An Urban Archaeology Survey was completed in 1995 and contained reports on historic towns dating to before 1700 A.D. with a view to delineating zones of archaeological potential (SMR Zones of Notification). The SMR formed the basis for issuing the RMP. Figure 4.18 shows the spatial distribution of Recorded Monuments and their associated Zones of Notification within and surrounding the City. There are 60 archaeological sites within Cork City Centre including standing stones and medieval walls and c. 400 entries to the RMP within the surrounding towns, villages and hinterland. Churches, houses, distilleries, factories and graveyards are amongst the most common recorded monuments and sites of significant archaeological, historic and cultural importance include St. Anne’s Church, St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Blarney Castle Estate and Elizabeth Fort. Clusters of archaeological heritage are concentrated around the City’s historic core and archive and supporting database are managed by the National Monuments Service and the records are continually updated and supplemented as additional monuments are discovered. (https://data.gov.ie/dataset/national- monuments-service-archaeological-survey-of-ireland).
4.12 Cultural Heritage 4.12.1 Archaeological Heritage Archaeology is the study of past societies through the material remains left by those societies and the evidence of their environment. Archaeological sites and monuments vary greatly in form and date; examples include earthworks of different types and periods, (e.g. early historic ringforts and prehistoric burial mounds), megalithic tombs from the Prehistoric period, medieval buildings, urban archaeological deposits and underwater features. Cork City is one of the oldest cities in Ireland and has a rich and significant archaeological heritage, ranging from seventh century monasteries to 11 th century Viking settlements and 12 th century Anglo-Norman stone walls. The medieval street pattern of Cork City is still evident today as is its historic trading centre maritime merchant ports. Archaeological heritage is protected under the National Monuments Acts (1930-2004), Natural Cultural Institutions Act 1997 and the Planning Acts. The Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) is an inventory, put on a statutory basis by amendment to the National Monuments Act 1994, of sites and areas of archaeological significance, numbered and mapped. It is available from the National Monuments Service and at archaeology.ie. The term ‘monument’ includes all man-made structures of whatever form or date except buildings habitually used for ecclesiastical purposes. All monuments in existence before 1700 A.D. are automatically considered to be historic monuments within the meaning of the Acts. Monuments of architectural and historical interest also come within the scope of the Acts. Monuments include: any artificial or partly artificial building, structure or erection or group of such buildings, structures or erections; any cave, stone or other natural product, whether
55 The RMP was issued for each county between 1995 and 1998 in a similar format to the existing SMR. However, the RMP differs from the earlier lists in that, as defined in the Act, only monuments with known locations or places where there are believed to be monuments are included. The large
CAAS for Cork City Council
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