Harbourview: An Irish-Welsh networking initiative

Abstract

Historic harbours, as infrastructural elements, are neither buildings nor monuments thus typically fall between the remits of heritage designation. Yet they are critical to reading the human occupation of islands historically. Inevitably these routes and points of embarkation and disembarkation were pathways not just for goods, but also for knowledge, beliefs, and broader cultural understanding. The rising sea levels and increased storm activity generated by climate change are endangering the survival of this important coastal heritage on both sides of the Irish Sea. Harbourview, a research alliance between Cardiff University (Wales) and University College Dublin (Ireland) funded by the ESRC and the IRC, is a networking project which aimed to establish new dialogues on the significance of these harbours and the means by which they can be documented and appropriately managed. Through a series of seminars, community workshops and a final symposium, researchers, relevant stakeholders in local and national governments, and local communities in Ireland and Wales participated in activities and discussions on how best to address this compelling coastal heritage. The Harbourview project established the potential of community documentation using newly accessible methods of 3D recording and visualization, and, in tandem with the seminar and final symposium, clarified the critical issues in achieving a comprehensive documentation of this invaluable heritage.