New legislation aimed at protecting the country's architectural heritage could have the opposite effect, according to Irish Times Environment Editor, Frank McDonald, writing in the Property Supplement two weeks ago. His comments related to the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act 1999, which came into force at the start of this year. The perceived problems are mainly linked to the need for owners of listed buildings (of international or local significance) to get a declaration from their local authority indicating the types of work they can carry out on a protected structure without damaging its character. Timelags in obtaining such certification may in fact further delay badly needed repairs. This and other points on the subject of planning applications and grants will no doubt be raised when John Martin, assistant chief planning officer from Dublin Corporation, gives his talk to the Irish Georgian Society on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m.
Martin will explain how the new planning legislation affects period houses. Sean Mulcahy from Leeson Park will speak from an owner's point of view. The venue is the Royal Society of Antiquaries, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Tel:01-6767053.
Fancy staying somewhere a bit more unusual over the Christmas period? If so, contact the Irish Landmark Trust for its list of properties to let. The Wicklow Head Lighthouse is probably set in the most striking location. However, a very atmospheric mood could also be created in Clomantagh Castle, Co Kilkenny; Anne's Grove, a "romantic medieval miniature castle" in Co Cork; or Ballealy Cottage in Co Antrim. All properties have been rescued and restored by the conservation trust, which was set up in 1992. The trust is currently restoring five lightkeepers' houses on headlands around the coast of Ireland. Once completed, these will be added to the list of rented accommodation. Tel:01-6704733; e-mail: landmark@iol.ie
Iceland may well become the first country in the world to run its transport system on hydrogen without recourse to fossil fuels, according to a report in this week's New Scientist magazine. The first three hydrogen-fuelled buses will hit the streets of Reykjavik in 2002. And while that may be several years after Vancouver and Chicago introduced theirs, the significant difference is that these hydrogen-fuelled buses will run on hydrogen made by splitting water rather than hydrogen derived from old fuels such as oil. The plan in Iceland is for hydrogen to run fleets of buses, trucks, cars and trawlers initially, and later to provide electricity and heat its buildings through the long winters. Writing in New Scientist, Fred Pearce asks whether Iceland could become the first of the 21st century successors to the OPEC sheikhdoms - HYPEC - the organisation of hydrogen-producing countries.
The Documents of Ireland project is a new initiative from University College Cork aiming to provide a rich visual and textual record of Irish heritage through Internet sites and CD-ROMs. Spread across six humanities departments, the project is divided into nine individual sections. These include An Atlas of Irish Names, Tracing Ireland's Lost Archaeology, a Multimedia Centre for Regional and Urban Ethnology and Locus, a new historical dictionary of Irish placenames. Text and Image - an archive of images produced in Britain and Ireland during the early Middle Ages - and Celt - (Corpus of Electronic Texts) an on-line resource which will contain a wide range of contemporary and historical texts from history, genealogy, politics and literature - are other projects in the scheme. The Documents of Ireland project is funded by the Higher Education Authority programme for research in third-level institutions. Contact Prof Keith Sidwell, Department of Ancient Classics, University College Cork, Tel: 0214902511; e-mail: k.sidwell@ucc.ie
Work by Viennese architect Adolf Loos (1870-1933) provides the focus for an exhibition which opens on Tuesday in the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. Considered one of the central figures in the breakthrough of modernism in Viennese culture, Loos was responsible for several controversial buildings in Vienna including, the Loos House, the Goldman & Saltsch men's outfitters on the Michaelerplatz, Cafe Museum and the American Bar. The exhibition continues until January 31st. Opening hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission in free.
Sligo County Council and Corporation are hosting Placing Art, an international colloquium on public art in rural, coastal and small urban environments on Wednesday and Thursday at the Model Arts and Niland Gallery in Sligo. Telephone: 071-40985.
Web World
www.irish-energy.ie
The website for the Irish Energy Centre is an excellent resource for anything you need to know about efficient energy use, and current and future renewable energy technologies. Check out how you can save energy, room by room, in your home on the Home Energy survey.
