Apologies for not getting back to you sooner but I was out of the office on leave until this morning. Grianan of Aileach has only recently reopened a few weeks ago after major reconstruction works via the OPW hence the lack of presence on our consumer website. It has however,  just been re-published on our consumer site - see link below.

 

http://www.discoverireland.ie/di/resultsengine/IndividualResultTCS.aspx?

touristItemID=73795&type=Attraction&LocationID=9&SearchString=&FromDate=&ToDate=&SearchByDate=0&Category

ID=981&LocationName=All+towns&CountyID=9&Radius=0&rbSelect=&SortBy=1&SubCategoryID=981

At the same time interest arose around a stone I found in a field near Grianan Aileach.but since no academic nor archaeologist was able to explain to me the proceedings of reporting a find, i.e. what happens to a movable object, I obstained from this request.

Maurice Harron sent a letter to a senior archaeologist responsible for historic buildings and monuments .

22nd April 2008

Pauline Gleeson
Senior Archaeologist
National Monuments Service,
Dept., of Environment, Heritage & Local Government
Dun Sceine
Harcourt Lane
Dublin 2

Re: Grianan of Aileach

Dear Ms Gleeson,

I wish to register a formal complaint concerning serious breaches of your department’s rules for structural work carried out on an historic building. For about 4 years the Office of Public Works took over Grianan of Aileach and without any public consultation or expert guidance, proceeded to demolish the walls in sections and rebuild them using modern materials and building methods.

In the Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities, it is stated in

“Specification of repair works” in section 8.3.4:

Stone is generally a very durable material but inappropriate repairs and poor workmanship can accelerate its decay. It may be better that masonry be left untouched rather than allow proposals which could result in incorrect treatment and consequent damage.

In section 8.3.5 it states that:

Stonework repairs require detailed specification and the applicant should be required to supply all necessary information to allow an assessment of the proposals. In some cases, the planning authority may need specialist advice to satisfy itself that due care has been exercised and that all relevant matters have been properly addressed in the application.

In section 8.3.6 it states that :

Where repair works are proposed to stone walls, particularly ashlar walls of a protected structure, the information required as part of a proposal could include:
a) identification of the existing stone;
b) the specification of any replacement stone;
c) a sample of that stone;
d) the proposed surface finish of that stone;
e) the method of coursing;
f) the specification and extent of any proposed repointing;
g) the techniques to be used in carrying out the works, and
h) the experience and expertise of the people who will be responsible for the work.

I contend that not one of these recommendations was carried out before work began on Grianan of Aileach.

In section 8.3.13 it states :

Damaged stonework can be repaired using specialised mortars, sometimes known as ‘plastic repair’. Extensive mortar repair should not normally be permitted unless the façade has already been painted and is likely to continue to be painted.

In section 8.3.14 it states:
Where mortar repairs are proposed, the work should be carried out by specialists and be appropriate to the fabric and the appearance of the original stonework. The applicant should be able to satisfy the planning authority that the specification of the work will not promote further damage of the stonework. For example, the use of hard cement-based mortars will accelerate decay in many cases.

In section 8.3.15 it states:
Repointing of stonework has the potential to cause physical damage to the fabric of the building, radically alter its appearance and substantially detract from its character and quality. A proposal to repoint stonework of a protected structure, which would materially alter its character, requires planning permission; and, where permitted, the work should be carried out by experienced people and under the direction of a specialist with a working knowledge and experience of historic buildings.

In section 8.3.16 it states that :
Comprehensive repointing of a structure is rarely necessary, unless the existing pointing has deteriorated and is causing to the stonework or other fabric. It should be a condition that sound old pointing is left undisturbed as it is an essential part of the fabric and character of a historic building and should not be removed unnecessarily.

In section 8.3.22 it states that :
The use of biocides to remove organic growth should be treated with caution, as inappropriate use can cause damage to stonework.

Before OPW began work Grianan had a fine organic moss growing on the lower parts of the wall (now disappeared).

The Office of Public Works has ignored every guideline and broken every one of these building procedures as recommended by The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. They have demolished the wall in 15ft sections and rebuilt them using cement mortar. In the process the structure is no longer circular but hexagonal!

The correct building procedure would have been to build continuously around the full circumference in courses. By not doing this they created flat surfaces. On one occasion a friend of mine went up to an Grianan and climbed up the outer wall surface and saw a JCB machine inside the temple! They used such machinery, including cement mixers and concrete mixers during their renovations.
They made a contextually absurd pathway up to the temple, with wood covered in chicken wire (presumably for health and safety!)

The above department guidlines are probably intended for relatively recent stone buildings like 18th century ‘Georgian’ houses. How strange then that this OPW workteam were allowed to ignore all of the Department guidelines in an infinitely more important and significant building!

Grianan of Aileach is one of Ireland’s greatest treasures, dating back to pre-history. It was a sun temple, connected with the great royal Aileach na Righ which was situated 3 miles away. When the English, in the 17th century, carried out their extirpation of all visible structures and artefacts connected with Gaelic culture, they spared Grianan of Aileach.

The OPW has carried out an inept, careless and grossly unprofessional renovation that amounts to a criminal act of vandalism. They employed techniques, processes and materials more suitable to their normal work on public urinals. It seems to me that the only rational motive for OPW to carry out this work was to access EU heritage funds. There is surely something very strange going on when this public body is permitted to cause such damage. Will EU Heritage authorities be concerned when they become aware of how a body like OPW is dealing with Ireland’s ancient structures?

People here in Donegal are very upset by what they have done and are not content to leave things as they are now. I have spoken to men who are stone masons here and they told me that they were so distressed with what they saw of the work as it progressed that they went to the foreman in charge and offered to take over the work and said that they would carry it out free of charge! These men told me that the OPW workers on the project were not stone masons and hadn’t any knowledge, experience or ability to carry out this work. Their offer was refused.

At the moment the building is profoundly altered. The Office of Public Works has caused profound damage and alteration to an Grianan’s structural and aesthetic integrity.

Many tons of the original stones were removed from the building, including many with the tar mark of 1870 that showed original undisturbed stonework. The long distance view of the monument now looks like a rectangular agricultural box. Up close, the beautiful curved surfaces, both laterally and vertically are now distorted. Cement mortar is clearly evident. Vast amounts of concrete are used in the upper walkways. The whole renovation shows a certain contempt for our Gaelic treasure. We will not accept this.

This work must be reversed and it can be reversed. Using people of expertise and knowledge, Grianan can be restored. I am writing to you to ask that you come up to Donegal and meet with interested local people, historians, politicians, clergy, stone masons.

I wish to ask on behalf of people of Inishowen, Derry and Donegal that your department acts on your own stated guidelines on ancient historic buildings and takes over control of Grianan of Aileach.

Yours sincerely

Maurice Harron