Why is it illegal to use Metal Detectors in Ireland

Here's a recent find in the UK. I'd like to see an argument made of us being better off if it were just left in the ground:

https://gobgh.co.uk/2021/11/05/nhs-nurse-is-set-to-make-hundreds-of-thousands-of-pounds-after-finding-tiny-gold-bible/

My nanny 45 years ago was doing some work on her land out in the sticks of Buncrana Co. Donegal and unearthed some very interesting gold crosses, but she was afraid to say anything to any-one outside the family so she hid them on her land and never told any-one where she hid them. She passed away a few years later. She just said that they were gold and some were crosses and that was the end of it. Now probably lost forever. I was always interested about her story and she didn't have a metal detector back then, just old fashioned digging she done. Shame.

Because it's not illegal to sell them.

Is illegal to use them in certain areas and for certain purposes.

Honestly, if something has survived in the ground for a thousand years, it'll survive another 2 or 3 hundred easy. The only reason for people to search for archaeological treasure with metal detectors is to get some shiny trinkets. If you have a genuine interest then do your research on proper practices and volunteer your time to digs. It's very interesting, methodical work.

There's been a project to get this stuff written up running for the past few years so better than it was. The roads were much better done.

https://www.tii.ie/technical-services/archaeology/publications/

TLDR: A policeman who was a metal detector hobbyist entered an agreement with some farmer to split the profits down the middle 50 50 on whatever was found on farmers land. Policeman finds rare gold coins, doesn't let the farmer know, gets caught and sentenced to 16 months.

Rather silly isnt it? You think being police he would have been more smart. Why didn't he hold on them for 2 years and stop looking on the famers land? Say he found them on a beach. Also, if selling old gold coins raises such attention - and I know this is mad - but just melt them down? Yes, you would be loosing something like 80% value but if you cant sell something then the value, in it's current form, is 0.

No, that's restrictions on their use. You can use one to search for a lost Rolex on your own land and a company can use one to locate underground cables or pipes.

I remember a girl in school telling the career guidance teacher she wanted to be an archaeologist. His response, "what, do you want to live with your mother forever?"

I've about 300 acres of land in rural Ireland that has no national monuments and has precisely zero chance of ever being subject to an archaeological dig. Ever.

If, hypothetically, I should decide in my retirement to go metal detecting and find something of archaeological value, I cannot for the life of me see why it is not a positive thing.

Scenario A: Nothing is ever found, and the information is lost/buried forever.

Scenario B: I go detecting anyway, but for fear of the law, never report my findings. Information lost forever.

There has to be a compromise somewhere. As mentioned before, A licensing process, where really enthusiastic amateurs can go on a moderately priced course, would be a great income stream for some struggling professional archaeologists and bring a degree of order to things.

Agree.

The law is unenforceable as it is anyway. What cop is ever going to come across you detecting on your own land?

Not quite, just a wildly unproductive family heirloom 😂

300 acres is just over 1.2 sq. km. That's a pretty small county :)

Whenever this topic is brought up on the Archeology forum, it gets locked down quickly, most likely the mod(s) there are in the job.

^^^

damn farmers own half the country🙄

How much of what is 'found' in the UK is actually found here and smuggled across?