Heritage & Conservation

A Conservation Management Plan is a document which sets out the significance of a heritage asset, and how that significance will be retained in any future use, management, alteration or repair. Conservation Management Plans have been prepared for the following sites in Mayo:

• Kiltane Graveyard Conservation Management Plan  
• Carrownalecka Graveyard Conservation Management Plan  
• Kilcummin Graveyard Conservation Management Plan  
• Hollymount Graveyard Conservation Management Plan  
• Ballyheane Graveyard Conservation Management Plan  

In 2006, Mayo County Council carried out a survey of historic bridges in the county, including road, rail, pedestrian and canal bridges. Over 200 bridges were recorded and photographed, and details of their construction and history documented.

Kilmovee has a wealth of archaeological sites and monuments, representing the long history of human habitation in the area. Seven of these sites were chosen for inclusion on a proposed Kilmovee Heritage Trail, ranging from the Neolithic Period right up to the 19th century. 

They include a Megalithic tomb, Fulachta Fiadh, a rare triple bullaun stone, a Ogham Stone and Holy well, a Stone Fort and a traditional vernacular nineteenth-century farmhouse surrounded by a network of small stone-walled fields. 

The report describes each of these sites in detail and outlines why they are important. This project highlights the importance of carrying out research when developing heritage trails, and how this research will improve the experience for those visiting the trail.

In 2008, Mayo County Council, with support from the Heritage Council, commissioned Headland Archaeology to carry out an inventory of the railway heritage of the county. The inventory comprised a documentary and built heritage survey of structures along the current and former lines in Mayo.  

In 2009, Mayo County Council, in partnership with the Heritage Council, carried out an audit of the stained glass in the county. Information on Mayo’s stained glass windows is available here.

In 2009, Mayo County Council, with support from the Heritage Council, commissioned the Dublin Civic Trust to compile an inventory of thatched structures in the county. The purpose of the project was to collect the information necessary to inform an analysis of the issues surrounding the future of thatch and thatched structures in Mayo. 

In 2010, Mayo County Council Heritage Office, with support from the Heritage Council, undertook an audit of all the graveyards in Mayo. Information on the burials, ownership, condition and status of each burial ground was recorded. The Mayo Graveyard Survey Database is currently being updated and will be available to view here shortly

In 2011, Mayo County Council, in partnership with the Heritage Council, compiled a documentary inventory (paper survey) of industrial heritage sites in Mayo based on the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR), cartographic (OS 6” maps, all editions) and historical sources.  

Public realm is a broad term used to describe the form and use of outdoor areas that are accessible to the public. Including streets, squares, paths, parks and car parks, it accounts for a large percentage of the town's land mass and greatly influences the way in which it looks and functions. 

Public Realm Plans set out the details of phased co-ordinated projects that will enhance and improve the way historic town centres function on a day-to-day basis. Their goal is to provide long-term socio-economic, cultural and environmental benefits for residents, communities, businesses, and visitors.  

In December 2016, Mayo County Council began the process of preparing a Public Realm Plan for the streets and open spaces in Ballinrobe. The Paul Hogarth Company were commissioned to prepare the Plan, which was developed through a collaborative process and will deliver a range of benefits for the town and the community. 

Download the Ballinrobe Public Realm Plan here.

The Heritage Council established a multi-disciplinary National Town Centre Health Check training Programme in 2016 in conjunction with 8 participating towns across the country. Ballina was one of the towns chosen to participate in this pilot.

Undertaken by Mayo County Council, Ballina Chamber of Commerce, Ballina Tidy Towns and GMIT Castlebar, with support from the Heritage Council, the Health Check establishes a baseline, to help monitor and drive the development of the town centre going forward. The Town Centre Health Check includes:

• Land Use surveys to establish the overall vacancy rates in the town. 
• Retailer surveys to establish current levels of commercial activity and outlook. 
• Pedestrian counts to establish actual town centre visitor numbers.
• Shoppers surveys to rate visitor experience and satisfaction. 

Red C Research and Marketing were commissioned to undertake a consumer survey in Ballina in October and November 2018. Face-to-face research (408 people were surveyed) was conducted in areas of high footfall in the Town Centre, to gain insight into the opinions and attitudes of both residents and visitors towards the town centre. 

Click here to download the Ballina Consumer Survey Report. 

Our small towns and village's have special character based on their natural, built and cultural heritage. A Village Design Statement provides an account of the distinctive character of the village.

It helps to raise public awareness of heritage assets and to provide design guidelines to enhance and protect local distinctiveness and local heritage features. 

Village Design Statements have been prepared for the following Mayo towns and villages  

• Louisburgh 
• Belcarra 
• Mulranny