The first county heritage plan in the State has been published in Co Laois, a €635,000 (£500,000) five-year project which aims to develop and preserve the county's heritage resources.
The Laois Heritage Plan hopes to, among other things, develop a sustainable museum service, maintain the county's archaeological sites and preserve the architectural character of the county, according to the Co Council's heritage officer, Ms Amanda Pedlow.
Developed by the Laois Heritage Forum and co-ordinated by Laois County Council, the Laois Heritage Plan "signals a new approach to heritage nationally", says the Heritage Council.
Care of heritage in Co Laois was previously managed through different agencies, interest groups and individuals, but there was no attempt to look at the range of issues on a county basis, the plan said.
The plan, which lists work that aims to be completed between 2002 and 2006, also wants to establish "a reservoir of folklore material which reflects the character of the area".
Folklore, which includes information such as place names, storytelling, style and diction, is "an area which attracts great interest but there has been little overall co-ordination".
The plan's creation "reflects the growing appreciation of the importance of heritage as an integral part of the county's development".
Crafts of the county should also be maintained, said the plan, and inland waterways and railways should be protected.
Another objective of the plan is to establish and maintain a permanent county archive. Laois County Council currently shares an archivist with Offaly, Westmeath and Longford County Councils.Archaeological sites of Co Laois should also be maintained, says the plan. A local landmark, the Rock of Dunamaise, should be conserved and preserved.
The plan says its focus is on "gathering information, making it available to the public, raising awareness, working with communities, providing mechanisms for facilitating and enabling stakeholders in heritage to take care of it".
According to the plan "the Archaeological Inventory of County Laois was completed and printed by Dúchas in 1995. A total of 1,052 sites are listed. It is not a definitive list and new sites are added regularly. Its main focus in on pre-1700 AD sites."
The plan proposes that a county museum be designated to hold and collect artefacts from the National Collection currently stored in the National Museum of Ireland.