Anational monument (Irish:séadchomhartha náisiúnta) inIreland is a structure or site, the preservation of which has been deemed to be of national importance and therefore worthy of state protection. If the land adjoining the monument is essential to protect it, this land may also be protected.
Equivalent monuments inNorthern Ireland are termedscheduled monuments and come under the protection of theDepartment for Communities.[citation needed]
National monuments are managed under the auspices of the National Monuments Service, which is part of theDepartment of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.[1][2][3] The official status of national monument is conferred under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014.[4]
Monuments had been protected under theAncient Monuments Protection Act 1882, an Act of theParliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After the establishment of theIrish Free State in 1922, this framework was reformed by the National Monuments Act 1930.[5] The list of national monuments has since been expanded. By 2010 there were nearly 1,000 monuments in state ownership or guardianship, although this represents only a small proportion of Ireland's recorded archaeological heritage.[6] There are more than 126,000 known sites ['Recorded Monuments'] in Ireland.[7] Each national monument is numbered (for example, theRock of Cashel is National Monument number 128,Newgrange is number 147),[8] and a numbered monument may represent a group of sites, as is the case at the Rock of Cashel.
A provision of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 allows for the destruction in whole or in part of a national monument by theGovernment of Ireland if such destruction is deemed to be in the "public interest".[9] According to press reports, these provisions were included to facilitate road schemes, and in particular the destruction ofCarrickmines Castle, a national monument, to build an intersection along the south-eastern section of theM50 motorway.[citation needed]
Two national monuments are also recognised byUNESCO asWorld Heritage Sites:Brú na Bóinne in County Meath andSkellig Michael in County Kerry.
| Province | County | Individual Monuments |
|---|---|---|
| Connacht | Galway | 88 |
| Munster | Kerry | 76 |
| Munster | Limerick | 62 |
| Munster | Cork | 58 |
| Connacht | Mayo | 53 |
| Leinster | Meath | 53 |
| Munster | Tipperary | 48 |
| Munster | Clare | 37 |
| Leinster | Kilkenny | 33 |
| Leinster | Dublin | 30 |
| Connacht | Sligo | 24 |
| Leinster | Wicklow | 24 |
| Leinster | Louth | 23 |
| Leinster | Wexford | 17 |
| Ulster | Donegal | 16 |
| Leinster | Kildare | 16 |
| Connacht | Roscommon | 15 |
| Leinster | Westmeath | 15 |
| Leinster | Carlow | 14 |
| Munster | Waterford | 14 |
| Leinster | Offaly | 10 |
| Leinster | Laois | 8 |
| Ulster | Cavan | 7 |
| Connacht | Leitrim | 7 |
| Ulster | Monaghan | 7 |
| Leinster | Longford | 6 |
| Total | Ireland | 761 |
The following is an index to lists of National Monuments of Ireland, divided byprovince.
