greetings from Ireland

[md-ireland]

Greetings to all my fellow detectorists!!
Let me introduce myself..

My name is Robert, originally from Holland living now for almost 5 years in Ireland.  I have been detecting now for over 20 years and what a great hobby we have.
Which came, unfortunately, abrupt to an end when I moved to Ireland. What a bunch of nasty laws they uphold here. I have been without my detector now for almost 4 years now and I can’t do it anymore.. I need to go out and feel ‘tha feeling’ again.
For that reason I started a MD club here in Ireland hoping that we can arrange, in cooperation with some UK MD clubs, rallies overseas, or even join a few.
Would be nice though if we can join (almost 30 members as we speak and still growing) a rally when organized in the UK, hopefully within reasonable distance from any harbor where we will arrive, sailing across from Ireland..
I am open for all suggestions and ideas that you all might have. I hope to meet you all someday in a field enjoying the greatest hobby ever invented.

Kind regards,
Robert
www.md-ireland.com

[Al.Thepastfinder, ( Alan )]

HI Robert  and welcome to the forum friend
 yes the laws over there are not good hey,  some do get a bit of detecting in on freinds and families farms,  hope they change them for you one of these days,
Best regards & cheer's now
 Alan

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Welcome to the forum Robert , you'll get a sypathetic ear on this site, would hate to be in a similar situation to yourselves. What are your options for arrival ports in the UK?

[md-ireland]

We can go to Holyhead, Liverpool, Milford haven, Fishguard, and if we have plenty of time even Plymouth!! But thats half a day by boat from Ireland.
Th best ones for us are Holyhead and Milford haven.

Robert

[KANE (DES)]

hi robert what about swansea can u get there
 i;m sure theres a club some where that would invite you and your friends over
for some detecting . any way a warm welcome to the forum
  DES

[md-ireland]

Dear all,
Thank you for this warm welcome..!! Looking forward meeting you all in the future..

Swansea should not be that big of a problem..because it looks to me only about 50-60 miles away from where we enter the UK: in Milford Haven!!

[Neil]

Greetings Robert

When we have a rally in West Wales {its on the cards eventually} feel free to join us for the day - its only a short ferry ride to Fishguard and a quick drive down. You will be made more than welcome by us all.

My understanding with the "Irish situation" was that if its private land well and a written application has been made and anything over 50 years is declared its allowed. Might be worth looking into.

I used to live in Utrecht for over a year in 1993 and annually go back to the Netherlands. I was in the Dam  a month ago for the usual sort of Stag Do that I am sure the locals hate. Good fun though and all the boys {18 of them} were well behaved.

cheers
Neil

[Chef Geoff]

Hi MD-Ireland And welcome.
I know your problem, I lived in the south and found it very frustrating not being able to detect, though I never had a problem with beaches.

Niel, Sorry mate the law is even more draconian than that,
The Law states

The National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1987
(Section 2) :
Subject to the provisions of this section a person shall not:
1a: Use or be in possession of a detection device in, or at the site of, a monument of which the Commissioners or a local authority are the owners or guardians or in respect of which a preservation order is in force or which stands registered in the Register or
2a. in an archaeological area that stands registered in the Register or
3a. in a Registered area
OR
b: Use, at a place other than a place specified in paragraph a of this subsection, a detection device for the purpose of searching for archaeological objects or
c: Promote, whether by advertising or otherwise, the sale or use of detection devices for the purpose of searching for archaeological objects.
Note: `Archaeological area' is defined as ` an area which the Commissioners consider to be of archaeological importance but does not include the area of a historical monument standing entered in the Register'.
Section 40 states that `Where in a prosecution for an offence under this section it is proved that a detection device was used, it shall be presumed until the contrary is proved that the device was being used for the purpose of searching for archaeological objects'.


# This is one of the few laws in western Europe that "you are presumed guilty until proven innocent."

Chef

[md-ireland]

Correct..

Even thinking about metal detecting is already almost a crime..Indeed the only place safe are the beaches and even there you'll have to be very careful not tripping over something, presumably, might be archeological older then 50 years or so holding your metal detector and away you are..And headlines you'll make name and picture in the newspaper!!

Even doing it on private property is forbidden.!

For that reason I will ask my members if it isn't a good idea to plan a fun weekend out somewhere in and around swansea whenever you are organizing a rally!!
See how many people are interested!

Thank you too Chef for your warm welcome..!!

Have a wonderful evening my new friends,

Robert
 

[md-ireland]

Neil,

Must have been good fun (mis) behaving ;-)) in Amsterdam..I've been there many times myself and I definitely believe you all had a great time..!!
But what I found out is that the Dutch celebrate their stag nights way different than the English or Irish (Having been in the UK and Ireland for a few years)..Many don't know how to party..!That is why they hate that all these 'foreigners' have so much fun!
Well think you can call that a small difference in culture..what we have in common..we all love digging up History!

Also thank you for the great welcome..!
Robert
 

[bymatt666 (byron)]

welcome to the forum robert.....i can only sympathise with your situation over there...but lets hope you can join us over here for a rally one day... ....good luck....byron

[melonhead]

sounds very strict out of curiosity what was the situation before 1987 did everyone who had a detector just put it away or was it allways like that . and hello rob you found a good website here.

[PHIL YNYSBOETH]

A very warm welcome to the Detecting wales forum Robert ;0)

all the best
Phil

[hedgehog]

Welcome to the forum, I hope it all works out, that would be a living hell for me. Maybe part of the problem is that there was so much gold and artefacts produced in Ireland in the past that they would not be able to cope with all of the fantastic finds that would be found!

[Chef Geoff]

sounds very strict out of curiosity what was the situation before 1987 did everyone who had a detector just put it away or was it allways like that . and hello rob you found a good website here.

Hi Melonhead
Before 1987 the law was much the same as it is here, unfortunately it was still a relatively new hobby in Ireland and though users had a representative body in the Metal Detecting Society of Ireland, their numbers were quite low and so lacked any lobbying power.
When the move came to ban the hobby, steered by the heritage people it was law within months. The ban followed quite a few high profile cases of unrecorded antiquities being offered for sale on the international market.
It should be remembered that Ireland has a rich history of metal working, the National Museum in Dublin alone holds 47KG of gold artefacts, all of which were found in Ireland and the majority contain Irish gold.

After the ban came in, you could litrely be arrested for carrying a detector on the grounds of "intent".
Things have now eased slightly although nighthawking is unfortunately as common as ever it was.

Detecting on beaches is pretty safe, but it should be remembered that the laws are still in place and you could still be arrested for that (or in your own garden).

Chef