Monuments, the SMR and the RMP
- The Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) is the Archaeological Survey of Ireland's database of every known or suspected site, with its type and a description. It's shown on the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer.
- The Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) is the legal list, set up under section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994 and drawn largely from the SMR. Monuments on it are "recorded monuments".
What a Zone of Notification means
Each monument is surrounded by a Zone of Notification (once called a zone of archaeological potential). Zones vary in size and are usually much bigger than the monument itself: the ground around a ringfort or church site often holds buried archaeology.
Under the 1994 Act, anyone proposing to carry out, or allow, works at or near a recorded monument must give the Minister (through the National Monuments Service) two months' written notice before starting. That applies even to works that don't need planning permission, such as some farm works, drainage or forestry.
If you do need planning permission, the council will normally refer the application to the Department for comment. Typical outcomes range from no objection, to archaeological monitoring of groundworks, to test trenching before a decision, to redesign to avoid the monument.
What it can't tell you
- Undiscovered archaeology isn't on any map. Large sites, river crossings and land near known monuments are more likely to turn things up.
- If something is found during works, the law requires it to be reported. Work around it should stop until advice is given.
- The record changes as new sites are found. For a firm answer on a project, ask an archaeologist or the National Monuments Service.
Related
- Protected structures and ACAs: the legal protection for buildings
- NIAH: the national survey of historic buildings
Sources
- National Monuments Service: Sites and Monuments Record and SMR Zones of Notification, archaeology.ie (Historic Environment Viewer)
- National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12
Last reviewed 2026-10-02.