Geoconservation, Geology, Heritage, Ireland, Quaternary, INQUA, IQUA,
The Quaternary is one of 16 themes addressing geological heritage in the Republic
of Ireland in the Irish Geological Heritage Programme of Geological Survey Ireland
(GSI). An original scheme to identify and designate statutory geological and
geomorphological Natural Heritage Areas has been superseded for pragmatic and
resource reasons. Now, the only effective geoconservation is through the listing of
geoheritage sites as County Geological Sites. These are fully defined and
documented in county-based audits led by the GSI but funded mainly by the
Heritage Council and commissioned by the Heritage Officer in each county. On
completion, the County Geological Sites (CGS) are adopted into County
Development Plans, acquiring an effective protection against many, but not all
developments requiring planning permission. Only raising landowner awareness
through the audit process can protect sites from damage through activities such as
field clearance, drainage or earthworks. Subsequent outreach activities such as
pictorial exhibitions or non-technical books are also employed to promote
geoconservation of such sites.
Around three quarters of all Republic of Ireland counties have now been audited and
a more complete picture of many hundreds of important Irish Quaternary sites is
developing. Quaternary CGS include erosional landforms such as corries and
glaciated mountain terrains and depositional forms such as eskers, fans, drumlins,
rogen moraine, erratics, kettle holes, pingos along with stratigraphical sites. Many
sites have multiple interests, also representing karstic or coastal or lacustrine
geology.
The presentation will include an overview of the progress with auditing Quaternary
sites, show some highlights and lesser known examples, but also discuss the criteria
for selection of sites. Of potential importance to other territories or agencies
embarking on Quaternary geoconservation initiatives will be some discussion of the
approaches taken to the definition of boundaries and the question of scale of sites.
Also examined in the presentation is the issue of listing active quarries and pits
within Quaternary sand and gravel deposits.