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Queen's Maeve's tomb and Discover Ireland

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  • 10-07-2013 3:20pm
    #1
    Meathlass
    Registered Users Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭


    Need a bit of clarity on this in case I misheard.

    There's a radio ad for Discover Ireland detailing places to visit. One of which is Knocknarea and Queen Maeve's tomb in Sligo. The ad suggested that visitors (to paraphrase) 'leave a stone on top of the tomb for good luck'.

    Did I really hear that?! Are Discover Ireland advocating alteration of a National Monument?

    Please, someone tell me, I'm going deaf and I misheard. :confused:


Comments

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    #2
    Maudi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,516 ✭✭✭Maudi


    Jesus wept please let you be wrong.theres two much of this misguided desecration going on and by people who should know better.


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    #3
    robp
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,934 ✭✭✭robp


    Could someone complain to Discover Ireland that this is not legal? Its on their website too.http://blog.discoverireland.com/2012/03/ireland-superstitions/


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    #4
    cfuserkildare
    Registered Users Posts: 3,573 ✭✭✭cfuserkildare


    Thats just nuts,

    Do they not care about they're own heritage?

    Methinks we need to sort this out properly, ie campaign for some way to protect these sights and enforce the laws / guidelines relating to their preservation.


    My tuppence worth.


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    #5
    Meathlass
    Registered Users Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭Meathlass


    Email sent to Discover Ireland


    To whom it may concern,

    I am writing to lodge a complaint about a radio advertisement currently running on national radio advertising places to visit in Ireland.

    During the advertisement visitors are encouraged to leave a stone on top of Queen Maeve's tomb on Knocknarae for 'good luck'. This is advocating alteration and destruction of a National Monument site. This suggestion is also repeated on your website "Her tomb at the summit of Knocknarea is bound with superstitions. They say if you bring a stone and leave it at the top of the mound, good luck will come from the Queen herself. Dare to take a stone from the mound, and bad luck will follow you all the way home…"

    The following is the relevant parts of The National Monuments (Amendments) Act 2004.

    14.—(1) In respect of a national monument of which the Minister or a local authority are the owners or the guardians or in respect of which a preservation order is in force, it shall not be lawful for any person to do any of the following things in relation to such national monument:

    (a) to demolish or remove it wholly or in part or to disfigure, deface, alter, or in any manner injure or interfere with it, or

    (b) to excavate, dig, plough or otherwise disturb the ground within, around, or in proximity to it, or

    (c) to renovate or restore it, or

    (d) to sell it or any part of it for exportation or to export it or any part of it,

    without the consent referred to in subsection (2) of this section or otherwise than in accordance with such consent.

    5) A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section is guilty of an offence and is liable—

    (a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or, at the discretion of the Court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both, or

    (b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €10,000,000 or, at the discretion of the Court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.

    While I appreciate there is no malicious intention on behalf of Discover Ireland to disfigure archaeological sites I would suggest that your radio advertisement is misleading and may contribute to this damaging superstitious practice.

    I look forward to receiving your response.

    Yours sincerely,
    Meathlass


  • Options
    #6
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    Damaging a national monument aside the idea of placing a stone for luck, more tacky luck o' the irish begorah nonsense.


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    #7
    wayoutwest
    Registered Users Posts: 509 ✭✭✭wayoutwest


    Meathlass - did you get a reply from Discover Ireland?......I notice the radio ads are still being broadcast.
    P.S - there is a thread on Knocknarea over in the 'Sligo' forum at the moment. For one of Europes' most important and impressive ancient structures, I've always been amazed how little the site is protected and promoted. I believe that the current,contant erosion [caused by folk scrambling up and down the massive cairn] could be dramatically reduced by simply providing the public with some archaeological information about the place.A sign telling you to not climb the cairn doesnt seem to be doing the trick. A sign informing people about its' great antiquity and national [if not global] importance might be more effective in slowing down its' erosion.
    The layers of stones being jumbled up, together with people further importing 'lucky' stones into the site, will only make it harder for archaeologists to make sense of it, when it does eventually does get excavated .


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    #8
    Meathlass
    Registered Users Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭Meathlass


    No, no response yet. I couldn't find a proper email address so sent the email via their contact us form.

    I'll try and send them another one using an actual address.


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    #9
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    I head this on the way to work there the other day. Its very irresponsible. It might be worth sending the email onto the minister if Discover Ireland are ignoring it. Ill certainly put my name to it if you want.


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    #10
    robp
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,934 ✭✭✭robp


    Riamfada wrote: »
    I head this on the way to work there the other day. Its very irresponsible. It might be worth sending the email onto the minister if Discover Ireland are ignoring it. Ill certainly put my name to it if you want.

    I can second that. I think I might contact the IAI and see what they say.


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    #11
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Ive made a complaint about this to the ASAI (Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland).


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    #12
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    The ASAI have come back to me wanting specifics:
    Radio Station, Date, Time of advertisement.

    Can anyone provide? I have heard it but cant say where or when. Is it available online anywhere?


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    #13
    robp
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,934 ✭✭✭robp


    username123 wrote: »
    The ASAI have come back to me wanting specifics:
    Radio Station, Date, Time of advertisement.

    Can anyone provide? I have heard it but cant say where or when. Is it available online anywhere?

    Here it is online. http://blog.discoverireland.com/2012/03/ireland-superstitions/


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    #14
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    robp wrote: »
    Here it is online. http://blog.discoverireland.com/2012/03/ireland-superstitions/

    Ive already sent them that, Im looking for a link to the audio of the actual radio advertisement if one exists, or else date/time/station it was played if anyone remembers.


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    #15
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    Im pretty sure it was RTE1 at between 8:40am and 8:50am on a weekday last week but I cannot recall the specific date. Surely they have access to copies their radio advertisements for RTE?


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    #16
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Riamfada wrote: »
    Im pretty sure it was RTE1 at between 8:40am and 8:50am on a weekday last week but I cannot recall the specific date. Surely they have access to copies their radio advertisements for RTE?

    Yeah you would think. I complained about a tv ad before and they were very gnarly about the specifics too - guess its their protocol.

    Im pretty sure if was RTE1 I heard it on too. Ive been trying to search for it online to no avail.


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    #17
    Lenin Skynard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,970 ✭✭✭Lenin Skynard


    This ad was played again around 2:10pm today during livelive on RTE One. It's extremely disheartening.


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    #18
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Lenin Skynard wrote: »
    This ad was played again around 2:10pm today during livelive on RTE One. It's extremely disheartening.

    Thatll do me, Im getting back onto ASAI immediately with that info. I suggest others do the same. The quickest way to get ads off air is to complain en masse.


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    #19
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    username123 wrote: »
    Thatll do me, Im getting back onto ASAI immediately with that info. I suggest others do the same. The quickest way to get ads off air is to complain en masse.

    I sent an email in

    http://www.asai.ie/complain.asp


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    #20
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    The ASAI has been back onto me thanking me for providing more info. I have no doubt they will follow up - they tend to be good at this kind of thing.


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    #21
    Meathlass
    Registered Users Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭Meathlass


    I heard it on Today FM on Matt Cooper's show on Friday 26th between half 5 and 7, can't be more specfic I'm afraid.

    My email to Discover Ireland is still unanswered. The actual advert mentions Discover Sligo though so they may be the commissioning body.


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    #22
    Riamfada
    Registered Users Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


    Did anything ever come of this?


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    #23
    username123
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    I got a letter for ASAI saying they would look into this and get back to me. From previous experience there will be another letter with a result in a couple of months.


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    #24
    RDM_83 again
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,116 ✭✭✭RDM_83 again


    What they should do is run an advert that mentions a legend that you will get crabs if you make a stupid little stone pile from rocks from the mound.


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    #25
    happyoutscan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,957 ✭✭✭happyoutscan


    The biggest problem at Knocknarea is visitors removing stones from the cairn to 'write' their names etc. in the surrounding area at the base of the cairn. Therefore, isn't placing a 'stone on Maeve's tomb' a possible attempt to have these displaced stones replaced where they should be, instead of scattered around by idiots?


  • Options
    #26
    kjkkments
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭kjkkments


    Meathlass wrote: »
    Need a bit of clarity on this in case I misheard.

    There's a radio ad for Discover Ireland detailing places to visit. One of which is Knocknarea and Queen Maeve's tomb in Sligo. The ad suggested that visitors (to paraphrase) 'leave a stone on top of the tomb for good luck'.

    Did I really hear that?! Are Discover Ireland advocating alteration of a National Monument?

    Please, someone tell me, I'm going deaf and I misheard. :confused:
    Yeah I heard that one too madness.


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    #27
    Witchburner
    Registered Users Posts: 47 ✭Witchburner


    kjkkments wrote: »
    Yeah I heard that one too madness.

    Wasn't this a tradition prior to the ad?

    The self righteous indignation around here is shocking.


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    #28
    dharma200
    Registered Users Posts: 998 ✭✭✭dharma200


    To actively encourage any type of intervention in Ireland historic sites, by an organisation who should have a vested interest in their preservation, should be treated with extreme indignation, and anyone who is half bothered to look after the heritage and ancient sites, and not allow the wilful destruction or intervention that harms the site for future generations, is something to be self righteous about.


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    #29
    Reader1937
    Registered Users Posts: 141 ✭✭Reader1937


    There was/is a local legend that there was a curse if you did not bring a stone from the base of the mountain and place it on the cairn. The letter writing started in the 1960s with the more frequent spotting of transatlantic flights passing over - all sorts of messages. Sadly the stones were taken primarily from the remains of the surrounding cairns. The original cleanup had the stones placed on the main cairn. Reuse and changes to monuments have been going on since the monuments were created.
    The ad was contrary to the law but understandable, given most peoples understanding of the preservation act and amendments.
    Education and appreciation.
    Also (in general but not in this case) some state sponsored digging - archaeology generally doesn't wait, but continues to degrade.


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    #30
    Witchburner
    Registered Users Posts: 47 ✭Witchburner


    Reader1937 wrote: »
    There was/is a local legend that there was a curse if you did not bring a stone from the base of the mountain and place it on the cairn. The letter writing started in the 1960s with the more frequent spotting of transatlantic flights passing over - all sorts of messages. Sadly the stones were taken primarily from the remains of the surrounding cairns. The original cleanup had the stones placed on the main cairn. Reuse and changes to monuments have been going on since the monuments were created.
    The ad was contrary to the law but understandable, given most peoples understanding of the preservation act and amendments.
    Education and appreciation.
    Also (in general but not in this case) some state sponsored digging - archaeology generally doesn't wait, but continues to degrade.

    Nice work.


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    #31
    newmug
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,571 ✭✭✭newmug


    Was there ever any outcome to all of this?


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