We should value old buildings

SURVEYS regularly show that natural scenery is the big attraction in Ireland but, often, we blissfully ignore gems that are under our noses.

Thankfully, there’s a growing awareness of the heritage value of many old buildings and structures in which people lived, and from which people earned a living, in past centuries.

We have scores of factory ruins, rusting machinery, mills, canals, ancient mines and railways, all waiting for a new role in 21st century Ireland. We also have countless examples of how this can be done successfully for the benefit of towns, cities and rural communities.