Tiger left heavy pawprint in villages

NOW that the Celtic Tiger has died, the post mortems focus on the economic and property collapses, but the spotlight is beginning to be put on the Tiger’s physical effects on the landscape of Ireland.

A decade ago, as the Tiger roared into life, both the urban and rural landscape quickly changed. At the time, there was a little-heeded warning at the Heritage Council’s first landscape conference, from Fred Aalen, former geography professor at TCD, that “serious damage to our landscape and the environment must be anticipated when dynamic economic growth occurs”.

Since then, Ireland’s landscape has witnessed dynamic economic growth. The big question is whether we were well enough equipped to prevent serious damage to the landscape and environment.