Ireland has four UNESCO World Heritage Properties: Giants Causeway & Causeway Coast, Co. Antrim, Gracehill - Moravian Church Settlement, Co. Antrim, Brú na Bóinne, County Meath, and Sceilg Mhichíl, County Kerry, with four nominations included on Ireland’s Tentative List: Royal sites of Ireland, Passage Tomb Landscape of County Sligo, Transatlantic Cable Ensemble & Historical Astronomical Observations of Ireland.
Development within or in proximity to a World Heritage Project (WHP) requires appropriate assessment to ensure that its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), authenticity and integrity are safeguarded. Where development has the potential to affect the OUV, a heritage Impact Assessment (HEA) should be undertaken in accordance with the UNESCO/ICCROM/ICOMOS/IUCN Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage context (2022). The HEA considers potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts on attributes that convey the property's OUV including its setting and identifies appropriate measures to avoid, minimise or mitigate adverse impacts.
Our Expertise:
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World Heritage Impact Assessment – Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) addressing OUV, authenticity, integrity, setting and potential impacts on World Heritage Properties and Tentative List sites.
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Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment – Assessment and mitigation of heritage impacts associated with infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism and development projects.
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Landscape & Setting Analysis – Archaeological and cultural landscape assessment incorporating Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC), GIS and visual impact analysis.
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Conservation Management – Conservation management plans and frameworks for archaeological sites, historic places and cultural landscapes.
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Stakeholder Engagement – Consultation with statutory and local authorities, heritage organisations, academic institutions and local communities.
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Project Management – Coordination of cultural heritage inputs within multidisciplinary project teams.
Our Experience:
CDHC combines specialist World Heritage expertise with extensive knowledge of the Irish archaeological, planning and legislative context. Our team has undertaken Heritage Impact Assessments, landscape and setting studies, GIS-based historic landscape analysis and conservation management projects for some of Ireland’s most significant archaeological and cultural landscapes.
We work closely with multidisciplinary project teams and relevant stakeholders to integrate cultural heritage considerations into project planning and design, in accordance with national legislation and UNESCO and ICOMOS guidance.
Selected World Heritage Project Experience:
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N2 Slane Bypass & Public Realm Enhancement Scheme – Brú na Bóinne, County Meath | 2017–2024
Client: TII & Meath County Council
Coordinated cultural heritage assessment for the proposed N2 Slane Bypass, including assessment of potential effects on the OUV and wider setting of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Property. The Heritage Impact Assessment informed route development, design and mitigation.
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Rock of Cashel Visitor Experience Study, County Tipperary | 2021
Client: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Prepared an archaeological baseline and options assessment for a proposed visitor centre at the Rock of Cashel, part of the Royal Sites of Ireland Tentative List nomination. The study considered archaeological significance, OUV attributes, setting, authenticity, integrity and visual impact.
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N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project, County Roscommon | 2015–2019
Client: TII & Roscommon County Council
Managed cultural heritage assessment for this 33.4 km road scheme within the Rathcroghan cultural landscape, part of the Royal Sites of Ireland Tentative List nomination. Work included landscape assessment, archaeological investigations, stakeholder consultation and mitigation.
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N5 Active Travel – Tulsk to Rathcroghan, County Roscommon | 2024–Ongoing
Client: TII & Roscommon County Council
Providing cultural heritage advice for an active travel route within the Rathcroghan landscape, including assessment of archaeological significance, landscape character, heritage values and appropriate mitigation.
Stakeholder Experience:
CDHC has extensive experience engaging with the World Heritage Unit and National Monuments Service, The Heritage Council, Fáilte Ireland, local authorities, academic institutions and local communities.
Our combination of World Heritage, archaeological, Historic Landscape Characterisation and GIS expertise enables us to provide practical advice from early project design through assessment, consultation, planning and mitigation.