Protecting and promoting archaeological sites: best practice for sustainable tourism along the Wild Atlantic Way

The aim of this research is to assist archaeologists and other stakeholders to strategically manage archaeological sites along the Wild Atlantic Way while at the same time facilitating the growing rise in archaeo-tourism through the design of authentic, sympathetic and contextual heritagisation plans.

The Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) extends along c. 2500km of coastline from Co. Cork to Co. Donegal and was launched by Fáilte Ireland in 2014. There are c. 89,000 recorded archaeological sites in counties covered by the Wild Atlantic Way. Given that total tourism expenditure in Ireland during 2016 was valued at €7.8bn and supported 220,000 jobs, the Irish tourism industry is a crucial contributor to Ireland’s economic prosperity. Many visitors, both domestic and international, particularly value Ireland’s archaeological sites and for some, such attractions are essential motivators for travelling to and around Ireland. As well as these opportunities, heritage tourism poses a number of threats to the archaeological sites of the Wild Atlantic Way. These include the preservation of finite resources, accidental visitor damage and erosion, vandalism, changes in ‘atmosphere’ and aesthetics, the need for infrastructure (e.g. parking, information, signage and facilities including toilets, cafes and gates) and landowner issues due to impacts on farming.

The challenge for archaeological heritage management is the design of systems and tools that reflect all stakeholders’ needs while adhering to legislation and sectoral best practices. However, the needs of both the archaeological and tourism sectors are not necessarily competing perspectives when appropriate strategic planning, consultation and management structures are adhered to. Little research has been undertaken in this area in Ireland and it is arguable therefore that there is a gap in the present state of knowledge and practice within heritage tourism and archaeological site management in Ireland, a gap which this project aims to address.

The project is being offered initially as a 2-year MSc by research, with an option for progression for a further 2 years to PhD level. After initial training, including at the World Heritage Site in Orkney, Scotland, the student will identify a number of case study archaeological sites in counties Donegal, Sligo and Mayo. They will work in close collaboration with stakeholders at these sites to examine their present sustainability status, to assess the needs of visitors and to develop guidelines for the planning and management of these particular sites. On upgrade to PhD level the student will develop and implement action plans for a smaller number of case study sites, gaining a greater understanding of the nuances of successful site management and exploring the inter-dependency of all stakeholders in the broader archaeo-tourism sector. The output will be an overall best practice document for managing a range of archaeological site types and sizes. While this will be targeted at sites located along the Wild Atlantic Way, it is anticipated that it will have much wider national and international application.