Sir, – It looks like those Russborough paintings have certainly started to go, which is nothing short of disastrous. The potential they offered to enrich all our lives, to afford us another reason to visit Wicklow, to sustain employment in the area, to afford opportunities for education and study is all gone too.
And why? Because we forgot how valuable our heritage is and effectively stopped investing in it for the future. We forgot its tangible and intangible value and risk losing the benefits it brings to where we live and to our sense of wellbeing.
So now that our levels of awareness of the significance of such losses is heightened we should surely be taking steps to minimise the risks of it happening again, and again. Two simple solutions. First in 2016 reintroduce meaningful grants for our historic houses and our disappearing vernacular architecture that recognise the public good that derives to us all from maintaining them in a healthy state. It is no coincidence that seven years after the State effectively withdrew such support, owners are having to sell off the metaphorical “family jewels” to maintain even the most modest of properties. Their loss is our loss.
Second, the Government has at its disposal a specific piece of legislation, the forward-looking Heritage Fund Act, which was established at the turn of the century specifically to provide funds for the State to acquire significant heritage objects and art without scrabbling about looking for money. The tragedy is the Heritage Fund has had no funds added to it for almost a decade. Surely for 2016 we have the financial wherewithal for the Government to start again to build up such a fund.
Now those are two actions that would be worthy of celebration for our culture and our heritage as the State approaches the 1916 centenary. A sign of maturity and commitment that is strategic, long term and would be widely welcomed in every corner of Ireland and, dare I say it, applauded beyond.– Yours, etc,
MICHAEL STARRETT,
Chief Executive,
The Heritage Council,
Church Lane,
Kilkenny.