FINTAN’S WISH IS TO SAVE THE GATE
VOLUNTEER (80) PART OF GROUP PREVENTED FROM ACCESS TO BUTTERGATE SITE
‘I DIDN’T do it for glory and I didn’t do it for money. I did it for the town I love.’
Those are the words of 80-year-old Fintan McCarthy this week (right) as he stood at a fence, blocking access to the Buttergate site that Fintan has helped uncover over the past five months.
‘I DIDN’T do it for glory and I didn’t do it for money. I did it for the town I love.’
Those are the words of 80-year-old Fintan McCarthy this week as he stood at a gate, blocking up access to the Buttergate site that Fintan has helped uncover over the past five months.
A volunteer with a group who have transformed the area around the ancient site, he now finds himself locked out and he’s saddened at how events have unfolded.
The works carried out by the team, including Cllr Frank Godfrey, were not given consent by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
‘Following discussions and an onsite meeting with officials from the National Monuments Office last week, the Council was requested by the Department to immediately fence off the monument to prohibit access on both archaeological and health and safety grounds. In addition, an archaeologist has been engaged at the Department’s request to inspect, examine, assess and report on the work, and to advise on any remedial action required.
‘Louth County Council is advising the public not to enter the site or to carry out any further works at or near the site,’ a spokesperson stated.
‘We thought we were doing good, taking away the rubbish from the gate that had just been abandoned.
‘You can go to wonderful medieval structures around Europe, and here we had one, in the heart of the town. No damage was done to the Buttergate, no walls knocked. The work was done in good faith and we wanted people attending the Fleadh to look and admire our famous town gate and explore it. That was all,’ a disappointed Fintan stated.
The group of about 10 ‘ Defenders of Drogheda’s Heritage’ moved on the Buttergate around October and cleared tons of rubbish and trees, opening up the area. Improvised steps were laid to help access.
The Butter Gate is a National Monument protected under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014 and is also listed as a Protected Structure under the Louth County Development Plan 2015-2021.
Cllr Frank Godfrey, who was issued with the threat of legal action if he entered the site again, says his next objective is a meeting with the OPW and Louth County Council.
‘Maybe we have woken up the council in respect of the heritage of the town. If we have caused them embarrassment, then let them and the OPW take on the restoration of the Gate.
‘I’m bitterly disappointed that we have to stop after months of work at the Buttergate – which is now visible to the public thanks to our efforts. What we wanted to do is have this historic monument visible for the Fleadh in August – and that has been achieved.
‘ The Council had abandoned The Buttergate entirely and now let’s see what they’ll do to showcase it.’
The site was fenced off last week.