This article is from page 23 of the 2005-11-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 23 JPG
NORTH Clare conservationist and co-ordinator of the BurrenLife farm- ing organisation, Brendan Dunford was appointed to the national Herit- age Council by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Dick Roche, last week.
The council is the statutory body whose main responsibility is to pro- pose policy to government for the preservation and enhancement of heritage in Ireland.
It is funded by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Lo- cal Government, and it was allocated more than €10 million in funding last year. “I am delighted with the appointment,’ said Mr Dunford.
“It not only signifies the impor- tance of the Burren but it also shows the value of the partnership between conservationists and farmers that the Burren is leading the way on.”
Mr Dunford moved to the Burren nine years ago to write his doctorate ‘The importance of farming practic- es on the natural heritage’.
After completing this work he es- tablished the not for profit Burrenbeo group and website with his partner Ann O’Connor in 2002.
His latest project BurrenLife, which was officially launched by Minister
Roche earlier this year, is focussed on examining sustainable farming methods for Burren farmers.
“The Heritage Council has an im- portant role to play in promoting best practice in protecting our national and local heritage when he appointed new members to the Heritage Coun- cil,” said Mr Roche at the announce- ment.
“It has established itself as a rec- ognised centre of excellence, and I want the Council to continue and build on the good work of the outgo- ing members across the whole range of heritage values that it has a role in promoting and protecting.”
The council will be chaired by former director-general in the Eu- ropean Commission Tom O’Dwyer, who is taking up his second spell on the council. Others to serve for the second time are; Dublin City librar- ian Deirdre Ellis-King; archaeologist Maurice Hurley; former senator Nio- clas O’Conchubhair and director of the Hunt Museum, Virginia Teehan.
Aside from Brendan the new mem- ber announced by Minister Roche are; Betty Coffey, the former Ca- thaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire Rath- down County Council; Billy Colfer, chairman of Wexford Historical Society; Professor Gabriel Cooney of UCD; broadcaster Ted Creedon;
artist Rhonwen Hayes; landscape horticulturalist Mary Keenan; gar- dening expert Finola Reid; Louth
County Manager Martina Maloney; Dr Caro-lynne Ferris, of the Coun- tryside Access and Activities Net- work in Northern Ireland; former
Cathaoirleach of Bray Town Council Noel Keyes and the Department of the Environment’s principal of herit- age policy, Donal Enright.