New Defence Heritage Record Launched

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed the launch of a new Defence Heritage Record, a comprehensive resource detailing over 4,500 sites constructed across Northern Ireland in response to World War One and Two, as well as the Cold War.

The Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI) within the Department for Communities (DfC) has spent the last two years conducting intensive field research to identify and record these sites. The launch, shortly after Armistice Day, is a fitting reminder of Northern Ireland's significant role in the 20th century global events that shaped history.

Minister Lyons stated that the resource will be of great interest to academics, researchers, and anyone curious to learn more about our history from this era. Minister Lyons commented: "Dotted around our countryside and coast are sites we pass every day, often unaware of their significance. From the search lights on the Belfast to Bangor coastal path to the pill boxes on the North Coast, or the airfields hidden in our landscape, these sites are important heritage assets which tell the story of Northern Ireland's vital contribution to these conflicts.

"This new record is an important historical resource which has recorded these sites for posterity as some may be vulnerable to decay or destruction. The work has also identified some of the most important, rare and best-preserved sites as warranting statutory protection as Scheduled Historic Monuments or listed buildings, ensuring their longer-term survival."

The Defence Heritage Record is fully accessible to everyone through DfC's online Historic Environment Map viewer. 

The Department is also launching an information guide, to provide background information and explain the features found within the Record.