State Care Monuments
State Care sites and monuments are those in our ownership or guardianship. They represent all periods of human settlement in Ireland from around 7,000BC to the 20th century, and includes some of the premier examples of monument types in Northern Ireland.
The first monuments were taken into care by the state in 1882 and there are now 185 single, groups or complexes of sites and monuments managed by us. The Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
provides the statutory remit for us to acquire historic monuments to secure their protection and manage them for the benefit of present and future generations. We have an ongoing conservation programme to maintain our State Care monuments and have an expert Conservation Works Team, regionally based throughout Northern Ireland, who carry out much of this work.
Many of our sites are open to the public, although some may be temporarily closed to allow works to take place. In some cases, at our more remote monuments, public access is not yet available and we have an ongoing programme to provide or enhance access to these sites. The most popular visited sites, such as Dunluce Castle and Carrickfergus Castle, are staffed throughout the year and have dedicated visitor facilities. Some sites will have a dedicated guide during the summer months and may or may not have visitor facilities. For more information please see our Places to Visit.
Monuments in State Care have many values. They are a tangible link to our past and hold information on how our predecessors lived, and for this reason they are fascinating places to visit. They are also located in both rural and urban environments, so that State Care Monuments often provide important habitats for wildlife that may not survive in the surrounding area. They are often peaceful and beautiful places to spend time and many actively contribute to the tourism of Northern Ireland.
Some sites are used as important educational tools and are visited by 25,000 school pupils each year. We have two educators dedicated to the historic environment. The key roles of the educators are to develop curriculum based resources linked to sites in State Care, such as Carrickfergus Castle, Dunluce Castle, Bellaghy Bawn, Devenish Island and Dundrum Castle and the development of education specific themed factsheets based on monuments in State Care. They also work with the guides at these sites in the development of educational programmes and events and delivery of educational visits.