Aideen's Grave - Howth Estate Rights of Way

Aideen's Grave, situated on Howth Estate, is a culturally and historically significant Neolithic dolmen that, like larger structures at Newgrange and elsewhere, predates Stonehenge and the ancient Egyptian pyramids of Giza.

Since ownership changed hands in 2019, there have been ongoing concerns about access to Howth Estate and Aideen's Grave, arising from the erection of fencing and the denial of access to the dolmen for educational, heritage and tourism purposes to an estimated 14,000 individuals affiliated with local community groups and businesses in 2023 alone.

Howth Access Group has written to both Fingal County Council and the owners of the Estate to request discussion on recognition of long-established routes as official rights of way through the site. The letter was co-signed by multiple active local community organisations. This request was emphatically denied by the landowners, while Fingal County Council noted the matter as an ongoing item on the current Development Plan.

We now request that Fingal County Council use the powers available to it under Sections 206 and 207 of the Planning Act 2000 to establish rights of way through Howth Estate in order to protect and vindicate the public's right to access the dolmen, for current and future generations.