Council will support any future UNESCO designation plan for Mayo's Ceide Fields

ANY future plans to put the Ceide Fields forward as a UNESCO World Heritage Site will be supported by Mayo County Council.

There was previously a proposal a number of years ago to put it on a tentative list, but that didn't receive community support.

The situation was queried by Councillor Michael Kilcoyne at the monthly meeting of the council following a national media report about the Céide Fields - one of the oldest examples of Neolithic farming in the world - being removed as a possible World Heritage Site.

The excuse being given, he said, was that Mayo County Council did not put it forward.

Director of services Tom Gilligan said there was a proposal about putting it on a tentative list.

One of the things needed to get designation is local community support, and that was not evident, he stated. Support levels had been measured in consultation with the community.

There was nothing to say that in the future it can't be put back on the tentative list, Mr. Gilligan added.

Chief executive Kevin Kelly said this process took place a number of years ago and there has been no recent conversation around it.

If there is community support for putting the Ceide Fields forward as a possible UNESCO heritage site in the future, the council would support it, he told elected members.

That could only be done with community support and at the appropriate time when applications are open.

Councillor Gerry Coyle said he had been at a meeting a number of years ago and at the time the feeling among locals was that the designation would bring in too much restrictions.