Farming Rathcroghan Project was awarded €984,000 by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine in December 2018 as part of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) scheme to promote the continuation of farming in the Rathcroghan area by providing guidance and economic support for farmers to maintain and enhance the archaeological landscape, while providing co-benefits for a range of services – including biodiversity, carbon sequestration and water quality.
Farming Rathcroghan objectives
- Manage the Rathcroghan farming landscape in a sustainable way with a focus on the delivery of good archaeological condition.
- Increase awareness and recognition amongst the local community, the general public and tourists of the significance of Rathcroghan as a farmed archaeological landscape and of the central role of farmers in caring for the Rathcroghan living landscape.
These project goals will be achieved by:
- Developing and testing innovative management solutions to sustain the area as a viable farming landscape in harmony with its rich cultural and ecological assets.
- Testing and implementing best farming and archaeological practice to monitor, manage, maintain and enhance the ancient cultural landscape in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way by a hands-on locally-adapted approach.
- Providing archaeology expertise locally to support the pro-active management of the archaeological landscape by the resident Rathcroghan farming community, through engagement with key stakeholders.