Tara and Burren among seven Irish sites nominated for World Heritage status

Seven scenic gems from the Emerald Isle put forward for consideration

Céide Fields and North West Mayo Boglands

The Céide Fields and North West Mayo Boglands comprises a Neolithic landscape consisting of megalithic burial monuments, dwelling houses and enclosures within an integrated system of stone walls defining fields, which are spread over 12km of north Mayo. Many of the features are preserved intact beneath blanket peat that is over 4m deep in places. The significance of the site lies in the fact that it is the most extensive Stone Age monument in the world and the oldest enclosed landscape in Europe.

The Céide Fields were constructed around 5,700 years ago by Neolithic farmers and The blanket bog landscape is of immense importance for its natural habitat value as well as for its illustration of environmental and climate history. This post-glacial landscape was dominated by woodlands, grasslands and heaths in a climate that was relatively warm and dry. The significance of the Céide Fields lies in the fact that along with their associated megalithic monuments and dwelling structures they provide a unique farmed landscape from Neolithic times.

The Monastic City of Clonmacnoise and its Cultural Landscape

The Monastic City of Clonmacnoise and its Cultural Landscape is located in Counties Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath in the centre of Ireland.  It is an outstanding example of a relict early medieval Insular monastic city unobscured by modern building development. It is set within a superlative semi-natural landscape that deepens it spiritual qualities, adding greatly to its authenticity and integrity.

The architectural ensemble at Clonmacnoise represents an outstanding example of an early medieval Insular monastic city and represents a significant stage in the development of early medieval Christianity in the North Atlantic Region.

Archaeological excavation coupled with exceptional documentary sources has demonstrated that Clonmacnoise was a civitas in reality as well as in name, unlike many other Irish sites, and, moreover, its dates are relatively early in the chronology of urban development outside the boundaries of the old Roman Empire.

The Historic City of Dublin

Following the Restoration (1660) Dublin became the second city, after London, of the British Empire, with major development and expansion in the Georgian period (1714-1830) - providing the institutional buildings and infrastructure, and setting out the city plan substantially as it survives today.

Georgian Dublin represents a significant moment in the history of the Age of Enlightenment. The establishment of the Wide Streets Commissioners and the founding of many charitable and public institutions, in buildings of high architectural quality, were high points of that period in Europe.

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Nster.com