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Old Posted: 24-04-2010 , 03:54 PM #3
Chris P
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: JumbleTown
Posts: 5,998
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snowdaisy
Hi,
following a post in the Wanted section for a metal detector i wrote this reply and want to post it here for everyone, every explanation may help people understand (i hope):

Please take this in the spirit it is offered - helpful information, These messages can be read many ways.

I just want to let you know that its illegal to use a metal detector in Ireland without a licence and you must be a professional archaeologist to apply for a licence in the first place.

Also any 'treasure' is technically the property and heritage of all Irish people and is held in safe keeping for them by the state, all accidental finds must be reported within hours to a garda, museum etc. Use of a metal detector, failure to report finds can attract 3 years in jail and / or up to 100,000 fine...

Sorry but I am an archaeologist and illegal detecting damages sites and loses precious information, it is something we are working to stamp out. The laws here are totally different to those in England.
Snowdaisy
Hi Snowdaisy,

Thanks for the feedback. I've removed the ad in question. Too many references to "sharing treasure" etc!

Anyway, I've been through the JumbleTown archives and found the following post made by JumbleTowner CMM a while back. It supports all that you say above but does seem to give some leeway to "hobby detectorists" mooching around beaches etc ... even though, as you say, only archaeologists may apply for a license. Does this mean that professional archaeologists are also the "hobby detectorists"? Does the membership of the Metal Detecting Society of Ireland consist solely of professional archaeologists? A bit confusing, no? Any more thoughts on the matter?

Regards
Chris P
Admin
--------------
Hi,

You should be aware of the following which I copied from the website boards.ie:

Nobody is allowed to search for archaeological artifacts with a metal detector, unless they have a license from the relevant State body. In practice, only qualified archaeologists are granted such a license. Due to the amount of heritage material which is reputed to have been illegally excavated and sold for profit, sanctions against those who break the Republic's laws are severe: a maximum of five years imprisonment and/or a fine not exceeding £50,000 on indictment.

Detectorists' Obligations
Government spokespersons have always assured the Metal Detecting Society of Ireland that it is not the intention of Government to be unreasonable in the treatment of detector hobbyists, provided they do not break the law. This assurance is reflected, to some extent, in the fact that a Garda may seize, without warrant, any detection device being used on or near archaeologically listed areas, but may not do so in any other area. This does not mean, however, that detectors may be used indiscriminately in all areas other than those listed as archaeologically significant; there are many undiscovered archaeological sites, and a detectorist who comes across such a site should report it within the statutory four days, and do nothing to interfere with it. The same requirement of reporting within four days also applies to any individual archaeological object found in the State.

Advice to Detectorists
Put simply, archaeology is best left to archaeologists. Hobby detectorists will always have plenty of beaches, parks, swimming areas, and other non-sensitive places to go 'coinshooting'. A responsible attitude must also be taken to the prohibition of detecting 'on', 'near', or 'in the vicinity of' prohibited areas. These terms are not defined in Law, and at a meeting with the Department of Art, Culture and the Gaeltacht, MDSI committee members suggested a 'safety limit' of one half kilometer from the outer boundary of any prohibited area. Department officials stated that they could not accept this as a voluntary code, as the terms 'at, near, or in the vicinity of' could only be properly interpreted in a legal context and on an individual basis.

The best advice we can give to Irish metal detector users is:

Do not detect anywhere near archaeological sites.
Do not detect on anyone's land without permission
Observe the basic courtesies of the countryside by closing gates and not damaging crops.

If you find an archaeological object - or site - report it immediately to your local Garda station or to the National Museum of Ireland. Phone 1890 MUSEUM (1890 - 687386)

If you are uncertain of the area you want to detect, contact your local Garda station for advice.

For More Information...
Relevant literature on the subject is the National Monuments Act of 1930, and the amendments to it in 1954, 1987, and 1994. Copies of these documents are available from the Government Publications Office in Molesworth St, Dublin 2.

- CMM
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