Heritage and Tourism in Ireland -an unholy alliance?

With the opening of the long-awaited Boyne Valley Centre in Summer 1997, the time has perhaps come to reassess the relationship between heritage and tourism in Ireland. In recent years, particularly since the start of the 1990s, there has been considerable debate and controversy about heritage issues, illustrating a high degree of public interest in the field. This paper outlines the main features of heritage, its importance to the Irish tourism industry, and some of the issues which arise when heritage is developed for tourism purposes. It considers recent developments in the Boyne Valley as an illustration of current approaches to heritage management issues. Key Index Words: Heritage, Tourism, Boyne Valley.