Old Tully Church and crosses
Photo: Ireland in Ruins blogspot The Office of Public Works has rejected responsibility for the preservation of a pre-Anglo-Norman church and ancient stone crosses in south Dublin.
Tully church and a number of ancient stone crosses date from between the 10th to the 13th Century, and the church is possibly of Hiberno-Norse design.
In a response to a parliamentary question, Minister with responsibility for the OPW Patrick O’Donovan said it had a list of some 700 sites across the State for which it was responsible, but the church and stone crosses were not listed.
“The department’s National Monuments Service has been unclear,” Mr O’Donovan said, “in recent days about its specific roles and powers.”
The church and crosses are within the Cherrywood strategic development zone (SDZ) in Dublin, and were to become the focal point for a new park.
Mr O’Donovan said the OPW’s heritage services had not been “directly involved or consulted” and was “not responsible at a national level for the protection of heritage, generally”.