Developing for the future: St. Patrick's Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary

Ref.: 108
Key theme: 04 Abstracts for which the authors did not indicate a key theme
Date of reception: 04/11/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

O´BRIEN, Richard * (Ireland) - Tipperary Historical Society

ABSTRACT

St. Patrick's Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary is one of Ireland's foremost National Monuments and is currently on the tentative list of sites for World Heritage Status. The complex of ecclesiastic and secular buildings adorning St. Patrick's Rock is acknowledged as unique in Ireland, and chiefly dates from the 11th century AD. Yet the history of Cashel can be traced back even into earliest prehistory, with discoveries on the N8 Cashel Bypass of hunter-gatherer activity from 6000 BC, and a more widespread settlement base from 3000 BC. This was the bedrock on which Cashel emerged as a regional focus, and later as a royal capital in the final millennium BC. Settlement in Cashel developed south of St. Patrick's Rock, becoming a walled town by the 14th century AD.

In the last 30 years Cashel has undergone a vast transformation from a quiet rural town, to a vibrant commuter centre. Nowadays the town is the focus of a lucrative tourist trade, with St. Patrick's Rock catering for upwards of 300,000 visitors annually. Tourism is the mainstay of Cashel's economy.

Local government policy has dictated that proposed large-scale developments should not adversely affect St. Patrick's Rock. The views to and from the site are protected, and an embargo exists on any development on the `Plains of Cashel', the low-lying fertile grounds to the north of the site, currently zoned as `Special Amenity'. The recent N8 Cashel bypass (built in 2003) was specifically designed to avoid adverse impacts on St. Patrick's Rock, and was therefore routed to the south of the town. Due to these restrictive planning measures to the north of St. Patrick's Rock, the expansion of the town has been forced away from its' historic centre, with the bypass acting as the de facto limit of all future urban expansion. Is this artificial limitation on the growth of the town sustainable or even justifiable?

Despite the local government policy, new development pressures in the form of housing estates and commercial ventures have seen encroachment both onto the historic fabric of the walled town and nearer St. Patrick's Rock itself. Should local government policy now be changed in order to facilitate more balanced and sustainable urban development of Cashel and could such changes be implemented without compromising the historic integrity and amenity value of St. Patrick's Rock?

Conversely, should the restrictive current `Special Amenity' zoning around St. Patrick's Rock be extended, to in effect sterilize the area from all future urban expansion? What, and to whose benefit, would such an approach have?

The obvious need for a more synergetic approach in regulating planning policy between State, local and regional bodies will be promoted for Cashel. How will the recent national planning guidelines concerning Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) be implemented for Cashel? Finally, does St. Patrick's Rock of Cashel deserve World Heritage Status, or is the current application too restrictive for the future development of the town?

REFERENCES

Cashel Town and its Environs Development Plan 2003
Cashel Town & Environs Development Plan 2009-2015 (draft in preparation)
Cashel, Co. Tipperary ­ A Study of Planning and Development in a Historic Town, Heritage Council Report 2002
South Tipperary County Council Development Plan 2009-2015 (draft in preparation)
South Tipperary County Heritage Plan 2004-2008