Re: Re: Derelict Rural Dwellings

I agree, wexfordplanner. It appears that Irish heritage is suffering partly because of society’s dependence on the car, which is a worrying reflection of priorities. I hope that solutions can be found so that as many derelict buildings as possible can be put to use in imaginative ways without compromising the heritage value of the properties.

I don’t know of any classification system for derelict buildings, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. The only thing I could think of which would have an ‘official’ classification is the Derelict Sites Act 1990 (section 3, definition of a derelict site), which gives three alternative criteria, one of which states that a site is derelict if there are any structures on it which are in a “ruinous, derelict or dangerous condition”, but this is still subjective. In the absence of anything else a simple definition of derelict buildings could define buildings which are not occupied or maintained as derelict, but of course this is also difficult to determine conclusively and/or consistently. I suppose a classification system, classifying buildings according to how derelict they are, would be even more arbitrary, unless very clearly defined.

I’ve just bought a newly-published book on Irish cottages, which may interest you if you don’t already know of it: The Disappearing Irish Cottage, by Clive Symmons and Seamus Harkin, see: Wordwell Books

I hope my ramblings are helpful – I’d be really interested in reading your thesis when it’s finished. pure eire