Came across lad with metal detector on Fort today - who to report it to

Mimon

Came across a lad about an hour ago at Rahin wood co. Kildare on top of the esker and hill fort digging a hole. He found nothing and then picked up his metal detector and started detecting.

Was a bit away so shouted at him that it is totally illegal in Ireland. He shouted back and said it was ok for coins and I said it certainly is not. As if he just happened to be looking for modern coins at an ancient site!

Told him I was going to call the Guards so he better stop and leave.

Didn't as I know this would be a complete waste of time.

Who would I report this to. An Taisce?

tromtipp

Guards and the National Museum. Tell the Guards you'll be contacting the museum and get a reference number from them. Well done on speaking up.

Mimon

tromtipp wrote: »

Guards and the National Museum. Tell the Guards you'll be contacting the museum and get a reference number from them. Well done on speaking up.

Cheers, ended up calling the Guards and calling the museum was referred to antiquities dept. No answer there but will send a mail now.

IrishAntiq

Hi Mimon, thanks so much for your civic action - please get in touch with the Duty officer in Irish Antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland. For some reason boards will not allow posting the email as it interprets it as a URL - written in words it is antiquitiesdoatmuseumdotie I would also recommend ringing Carbury Garda station (which I think is the closest GS). It is important that these incidents are logged - if you happen to have any other details they would be very useful. If you do you could provide the Garda's name to the Duty Officer and we will follow up.

antiquitiesdo@museum.ie

Mimon

IrishAntiq wrote: »

Hi Mimon, thanks so much for your civic action - please get in touch with the Duty officer in Irish Antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland. For some reason boards will not allow posting the email as it interprets it as a URL - written in words it is antiquitiesdoatmuseumdotie I would also recommend ringing Carbury Garda station (which I think is the closest GS). It is important that these incidents are logged - if you happen to have any other details they would be very useful. If you do you could provide the Garda's name to the Duty Officer and we will follow up.

Cheers IA. That's the email that I got from the National museum when I rang. They are taking it seriously. Gave a description of the "detectorist" and they wanted the location on a map.

Offered to show them the exact location if they wanted me to.

Good to know Carbury station is the closest as I rang Naas. Will save the number and ring immediately if I see him again.

Just as an aside - to my amateur eye there seems to be a lot of manmade earthworks etc on top of the Eskers. Could never find any info on these. Anyone know anything about these? Looks like the Esker would be a good defenseable location overlooking the Boyne.

slowburner

Mimon, your actions are deeply appreciated

Genghis Cant

I met a foreign lad there a couple of years ago heading in with a detector. I told him it was illegal and he headed back to his car which was parked across the road at the cross. I wonder could it have been the same chap. If so he's probably in there a bit. He spun me a yarn about the legality of it but i wasn't buying it.
The old Abbey is across the river there and there's a castle site at the cross .

FintanMcluskey

Hi lads

What’s the theory behind or reason for the illegality of metal detectors in Ireland?

Does any organisation have right to use a metal detector?

Moderator advisory:
please read the information provided on the forum landing page
or here https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collections-Research/The-Law-on-Metal-Detecting-in-Ireland

irishgeo

FintanMcluskey wrote: »

Hi lads

What’s the theory behind or reason for the illegality of metal detectors in Ireland?

Does any organisation have right to use a metal detector?

it's not illegal everywhere, pretty sure it's ok, if it's registered . it's illegal in ancient historical sites etc.

Nekarsulm

Illegal within 200 meters of any historic monument (ring fort, dolmen, etc)
Illegal to actively search for antiquities.
Perfectly legal if you have the land owners permission, or on your own land. ( not within 200 meters of historic monument etc.)
Beaches are a grey area, not sure who owns the foreshore ( State etc)

Mod advisory:
None of the above is correct
The use of a metal detector to search for archaeological objects without a license is illegal and that's all there is to it.
200m, 2000m, 20,000m or 200,000m from a national monument makes no difference, it is illegal.
It is illegal on the beach or on your own land - it is a black and white issue, not grey.

magicbastarder

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Perfectly legal if you have the land owners permission, or on your own land. ( not within 200 meters of historic monument etc.)
Beaches are a grey area, not sure who owns the foreshore ( State etc)

Not 'perfectly legal' -it is illegal to use one without licence, anywhere in the state for the purposes of finding archaeological artefacts. Landowner permission or not. It's outlined in the forum charter anyway.

Nekarsulm

magicbastarder wrote: »

Not 'perfectly legal' -it is illegal to use one without licence, anywhere in the state for the purposes of finding archaeological artefacts. Landowner permission or not. It's outlined in the forum charter anyway.

As I stated in the second line of my reply: Illegal to actively search for antiquities.

Mimon

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I met a foreign lad there a couple of years ago heading in with a detector. I told him it was illegal and he headed back to his car which was parked across the road at the cross. I wonder could it have been the same chap. If so he's probably in there a bit. He spun me a yarn about the legality of it but i wasn't buying it.
The old Abbey is across the river there and there's a castle site at the cross .

This was a foreign lad. Central/Eastern European accent. Was a bit away from him but looked like he had fair hair, very short or possibly balding. Average height.

He had the BS legal spiel for me also.

Regretting now that I didn't say anything and just call the Gardaí.

Not good if it is the same lad doing it for years, which seems likely.

Mimon

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Illegal within 200 meters of any historic monument (ring fort, dolmen, etc)
Illegal to actively search for antiquities.
Perfectly legal if you have the land owners permission, or on your own land. ( not within 200 meters of historic monument etc.)
Beaches are a grey area, not sure who owns the foreshore ( State etc)

That is completely false.

Edit: OK but in this case the guy is searching in an area with ancient embankments. It is not classified as as historic monument but should be.

He is obviously looking for archaeological objects and thinks he's found a loophole.

magicbastarder

Nekarsulm wrote: »

As I stated in the second line of my reply: Illegal to actively search for antiquities.

i noted that, but it was possible to read that line in the context of the line above which was about doing so within the bounds of a protected monument, and separate to the line below about doing so on private land.

mocmo

Here is the clear law on metal detecting in Ireland, it is illegal, there is no distinction between the type of land you are on.

https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collections-Research/The-Law-on-Metal-Detecting-in-Ireland

slowburner

Posters advocating the use of metal detectors illegally have been banned from this forum for breaching forum rules.
Thanks are due to those of you who have clarified the legal position in the face of persistent efforts to misinform.
This thread is now closed because this forum will not tolerate the promotion of illegal activities