Volunteers from places as diverse as northern Russia, the US, Spain and Italy have begun a preliminary excavation at one of Ireland's most impressive coastal fortifications - the four-centuries-old Duncannon Fort which overlooks Waterford Harbour.
The star-shaped fortress has been of strategic importance as a defensive deterrent against various threats of invasion - by the Spanish Armada, Napoleon and Hitler - and it changed hands repeatedly in prolonged sieges throughout its colourful history.
Now the massive fort is an important, but under-utilised tourism asset for the region - its very size and complexity making it difficult to raise the substantial funding needed to develop its full potential.
Up to 20 workers chosen by Voluntary Service International (VSI) have come this summer to the rocky promontory on which the fort stands, with spectacular views of the estuary, to begin clearing parts of it under archaeological supervision.
The two-week dig is taking place on the lower gun battery on top of the massive ramparts of the fort, which dominates the little village of Duncannon with its Blue Star beach.
As the volunteers work with shovel and wheelbarrow, visitors continue to tour the fort's 4 1/2 acres with its well-preserved dry moat, gun emplacements, armouries, tunnels and sally-ports.
Guides give them some impression of the conditions endured by the garrisons during the prolonged sieges of the 17th century.
With its wide parade ground and multiple buildings, the fort is like a self-contained small town. In 1811, its garrison consisted of seven officers and 22 men. It continued as a British army garrison until after the War of Independence.
It was occupied by Irregular forces in the Civil War, and the buildings were partly destroyed by fire when they retreated in 1922. Later, during the second World War the Irish Army occupied the fort, reconstructing the derelict buildings and constructing gun emplacements, lookout posts and searchlight positions.
In 1993, the Department of Defence transferred the fort to Wexford County Council, and a trust company was established to continue the refurbishment and conservation work.
There was already a strong community sense of the important heritage resource which the fort represented. This was demonstrated when local people prevented the departing Army units from taking with them a number of imposing old cannons.
Those Armstrong cannons are now stored in the fort, on display to visitors but without gun carriages. Five guns date from the time of George III, and one from an earlier period. The fort's development trust project manager, Ms Dervilla Killian, says it is hoped to find enough funds to have two of these cannon mounted on carriages. The problem is to find people with the necessary skills.
This is only one of many projects which the Duncannon Fort Trust would like to advance. Cash is the problem here. The environs of the fort would clearly suit any number of imaginative developments - such as a craft village, international hostel, market place for local produce, with small restaurants, cafes and so on.
But at present, its facilities are minimal. There is a small craft shop, a cafe run under franchise from the trust, and one enterprising young local artist, Ms Shirley Doyle, of Duncannon, has rented a building as a studio and exhibition space.
The Catch 22 is that the fort cannot realise its full income-generating potential until its annual visitor numbers increase substantially, and that is difficult to achieve until it has a full range of facilities in place and a strong marketing campaign to spread word of its attractions.
For the present, therefore, this impressive example of military architecture will continue to be part of "the secret Ireland" - the wealth of natural and historic heritage features awaiting discovery by visitors to a whole series of distinctive and attractive villages along both sides of the vast estuary south of Waterford.