AN EXPERT advisory committee for the Skellig Michael World Heritage Site will be established after Minister for the Environment John Gormley accepted a key Unesco recommendation for the site.
However, there is some anger among tourism interests and ferry operators.
The new committee is to be chaired by Dr Michael Ryan of the Chester Beatty Library,
Other members are Prof Ron Cox (structural engineering conservation); Prof Loughlin Kealy (architectural and conservation practice); Dr Colin Rynne (industrial archaeology) and Dr Stephen Newton (seabirds).
However, the committee does not include a heritage tourism representative, in spite of Unesco’s recommendation for greater involvement of stakeholders.
A report published in late 2007 by Unesco, the UN body responsible for designation of World Heritage Sites, was critical of aspects of State management of the 6th century monastic outpost off the Kerry coast.
It found that conservation works had “dramatically altered” the appearance of surviving ruins on the island’s South Peak.
However, the archaeological site would still retain its “outstanding universal values” intact if the conservation work was documented in an academic publication, the Unesco mission report said. Unesco recommended that a site manager be appointed, and said that a “durable agreement” should be negotiated with Skellig Michael ferry operators.
It recommended that an academic advisory committee be appointed, and was critical of the Office of Public Works (OPW) for failing to consult with archaeologists and other stakeholders before embarking on the South Peak conservation works.
While the OPW has responsibility for management of the complex, Mr Gormley’s department is responsible for policy.
r Michael Gibbons, the Connemara archaeologist who first highlighted concerns about State management with Unesco, has welcomed the establishment of the new expert advisory committee, but said that tourism/ferry interests should also have a representative.
He described the new committee as “the most important step since the OPW began a major intervention on the island in the late 19th century. Hopefully the committee will finally resolve the conflicting claims as to the authenticity of the remaining surviving monuments and the extent to which the conserved buildings are replicas or not”.
However, Mr Gibbons said it was regrettable that no one from a heritage tourism-management background had been appointed, especially given the recent death of an American tourist on Skellig Michael, and the need for independent research on visitor flow and management issues.
“The Unesco Tourism Charter is very specific in granting host communities the right to be involved and consulted in World Heritage Sites. It is one of the aims of a World Heritage Site designation that benefits flow to the surrounding communities.”
Kenneth Roddy, Skellig Michael ferry operator, said he found it “shocking” but “not surprising” that tourism and ferry interests had not been appointed to the new committee.
The Unesco report had clearly recommended that ferry operators should be communicated with, he said, but neither the Department of the Environment nor the OPW had been in touch.
The new committee has a remit to “provide expert guidance and advice on issues relating to the conservation, presentation and management of the site”, said the Department of the Environment.
