Metal Detecting Permission

Mankyspuds

Hello there

I am a keen amateur metal detectorist, I am looking for any land owners who would like their land metal detected.

I will clear as best I can any metal I find including potentially posionous ones for livestock such as lead. If I come across any glass I will also take it away.

I always fill my holes in and leave only the barest of traces I was there.

I will show you everything that I find.

I can let you know of any maintenance that I come across, broken fences etc on my wandering around the property.

Unfortunately I am not allowed detect were there are any protected structures like cairns/dolmens, old churches etc, as that would be protected by the Monuments Act. But, I can check that out online to see where they are on your property and make sure I steer well clear of it.

I am not interested in this for profit, never have, its purely the enjoyment of getting out and about and discovering the occasional interesting thing.

But I would happily find what maybe lying under your feet, coins, buckles, old jewellery that are be on your land, you just never know what is there.

I live on the outskirts of Dublin but I am more than willing to travel. If you would like me to give me permission please feel free to PM me and we can have a chat.

All the best

Manky

barnaman

Good luck Manky but is metal detecting not essentially illegal in Ireland? Except under strict licence etc?

Below from Gov. website.

"As a general rule, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will not grant consents for the use and/or possession of metal detectors except to suitably qualified archaeologists or persons who will be working under professional on-site archaeological supervision. Before consent to use a metal detector is issued, the applicant will have to make clear that the use of the device is in accordance with best archaeological practice. This is achieved through the submission of a detailed method statement setting out the proposed work programme for assessing a site and achieving the greatest possible level of archaeological knowledge
from the work undertaken."

Mankyspuds

In an area where there are no structures under the protection National Monuments Act, there shouldn't be a problem. A ploughzone for example would be an ideal area. Detectors can vary in depth I am sure, mine goes about eight inches perhaps ten at a shove.

The whole 'illegal' is a very unfortunate label put on by the NMI to put the ****s up people, but when you look into it as long as stay well clear of the 'Blue Dots' and 'Red Dots' on this map http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/ then I cant think of a better way to detect within the law.

Hope this helps

Manky

Genghis Cant

Closed at present pending review

slowburner

Mankyspuds wrote: »

In an area where there are no structures under the protection National Monuments Act, there shouldn't be a problem. A ploughzone for example would be an ideal area. Detectors can vary in depth I am sure, mine goes about eight inches perhaps ten at a shove.

The whole 'illegal' is a very unfortunate label put on by the NMI to put the ****s up people, but when you look into it as long as stay well clear of the 'Blue Dots' and 'Red Dots' on this map http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/ then I cant think of a better way to detect within the law.

Hope this helps

Manky

This kind of spurious information is causing untold problems with the archaeological heritage of this island.
Metal detecting for the purposes of finding archaeological objects without the required license and ministerial consent is illegal. Full stop.
How close or how far the metal detectorist is from a national monument has no bearing on the matter. Using a metal detector for the purposes of searching for archaeological objects without the required license is illegal. Full stop.

The relevant legislation, together with the laws in an easy to read form are available here.