Contemporary 1950 - Present

Conservation in Ireland

In Ireland in the twentieth century the loss of important buildings became a cause for concern to many. This was due to loss of life in both World Wars, death duties and scarcity of craft and domestic skills as well as a belief that they were no longer relevant in a modern age. The result was the birth of the conservation movement. In Ulster the first evidence of this was the formation, in 1937, of the Northern Ireland Committee of the National Trust; this was followed by the Irish Georgian Society in 1958. In 1967, the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS) came into existence. The UAHS lobbied for legislation to list buildings, similar to the Town and Country Planning Act 1944 in England, and to designate conservation areas. The Planning (NI) Order 1972 brought in legislation for listing of buildings and conservation area designation. In 2005 there are approximately 8,000 listed buildings in Northern Ireland and 59 conservation areas.

In the period since 1968 Ulster’s traditional built environment has faced unique difficulties. The bombing campaign has destroyed many fine buildings and monuments and countless historic streetscapes. An historic building can only be destroyed once, it cannot be replaced.