County Clare, Ireland

ollievon

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Mar 9, 2006
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Upstate NY
Reaching out to any of our md'ing Irish brothers or sisters that can provide some insight into whether metal detecting is allowed in Ireland, and specifically Lahinch Beach in County Clare. When you initially google MDing in Ireland you first get that it's strictly prohibited...but the devil is in the details, that's only if you are in known historical sites, but when it comes to beaches they are apparently totally ok...but I have my suspicions.

So, I have emailed Clare County Council (Basically the local authority) and inquired about laws and permits, so we will see. I went to Scotland about 4 years ago and did NOT bring my detector and regretted it, especially on the days the wife and kids wanted to sleep in, lol. We rented a cottage right on the beach, so I'm eager to detect Ireland's beaches and see what fun lies beneath...if legal.

Any advice from previous travelers would be great.
 
Be aware that when you email (or call, or show up at) bureaucrat's desks asking "can I ?", then same whimsical answers can come forth. There are several humorous stories of persons who fetched a "no" from some travel consulate, or border lawyer, or "council", etc... (when getting ready to travel to another country) Only to find out later that it only applied to obvious historic monuments. Or they say "no" because they think it bothers endangered turtle eggs. Or some such bologna !! And the md'r "leaves his detector at home", only to discover later, that md'ing isn't *really* a problem.

And be aware that even when you MIGHT find something "dire sounding", that : That might be only as it applies to public lands. Eg.: for example speed limits are for public roads, etc... Yet there is NOTHING to stop "farmer bob" from going 100 mph on his own land and own roads. So too is it with md'ing : While you might find something (cultural heritage bologna) that seems to apply border-to-border, yet upon closer scrutiny, it's for public land. And there's nothing at all to stop farmer bob from "looking for the ring his wife lost last week". But some archie-minded pencil-pusher might not interpret it that way, and may take the easy-way-out and just say "no". Ok, avoid singular said kill-joys. Presto, problem solved.

Also, sometimes you have to ... uh ... "read between the lines" : I once talked to an md'r from another European country, that .... likewise ... had you scratching your head (depending on which compendium rules listing you were reading, or which bureaucrat you happened to be asking). So I was the devil's advocate, and linked him to something dire-sounding about his country . He assured me that there were many md'rs there (even clubs, dealers, etc...). But I persisted and said : "Ok, but how can that be in-light-of-this "dire-sounding" law/rule ?" . To which he replied that those only apply to historic monuments (or public land or whatever). So that he and his buddies just do farmers fields with permission. And then he added : "... And .... quite frankly ... when we hunt, we're so far back in the woods that, there's no one around to care IN THE FIRST PLACE " :roll:

Hopefully whomever this "council" is, that you put the "pressing question " in front of, doesn't decide this needs a law or rule, to "address this pressing issue". Ie.: I hope it doesn't birth laws, awareness to some supposed evil, etc....
 
Be aware that when you email (or call, or show up at) bureaucrat's desks asking "can I ?", then same whimsical answers can come forth. There are several humorous stories of persons who fetched a "no" from some travel consulate, or border lawyer, or "council", etc... (when getting ready to travel to another country) Only to find out later that it only applied to obvious historic monuments. Or they say "no" because they think it bothers endangered turtle eggs. Or some such bologna !! And the md'r "leaves his detector at home", only to discover later, that md'ing isn't *really* a problem.

And be aware that even when you MIGHT find something "dire sounding", that : That might be only as it applies to public lands. Eg.: for example speed limits are for public roads, etc... Yet there is NOTHING to stop "farmer bob" from going 100 mph on his own land and own roads. So too is it with md'ing : While you might find something (cultural heritage bologna) that seems to apply border-to-border, yet upon closer scrutiny, it's for public land. And there's nothing at all to stop farmer bob from "looking for the ring his wife lost last week". But some archie-minded pencil-pusher might not interpret it that way, and may take the easy-way-out and just say "no". Ok, avoid singular said kill-joys. Presto, problem solved.

Also, sometimes you have to ... uh ... "read between the lines" : I once talked to an md'r from another European country, that .... likewise ... had you scratching your head (depending on which compendium rules listing you were reading, or which bureaucrat you happened to be asking). So I was the devil's advocate, and linked him to something dire-sounding about his country . He assured me that there were many md'rs there (even clubs, dealers, etc...). But I persisted and said : "Ok, but how can that be in-light-of-this "dire-sounding" law/rule ?" . To which he replied that those only apply to historic monuments (or public land or whatever). So that he and his buddies just do farmers fields with permission. And then he added : "... And .... quite frankly ... when we hunt, we're so far back in the woods that, there's no one around to care IN THE FIRST PLACE " :roll:

Hopefully whomever this "council" is, that you put the "pressing question " in front of, doesn't decide this needs a law or rule, to "address this pressing issue". Ie.: I hope it doesn't birth laws, awareness to some supposed evil, etc....
I totally get your points...you and I both know that asking opens up so many potential opportunities for the authorities to just give and easy "no"...but then again, when travelling to a foreign country, ignorance is no excuse and better than getting your machine confiscated and then flying home with less than you came with. I am merely inquiring...so let's see what they say (and you bet I'm going to get a specific name, print it out, and have it with me if I get busted by some dope who assumes "they know the law".
 
...., ignorance is no excuse....

Ollievon, who is advocating "ignorance" ? If you are skittish, then by all means look up any potential laws/rules for yourself. What can be more "law-abiding" than that ? Why isn't THAT the way to "abate ignorance" ? And if it doesn't say "no md'ing", or if any such stuff is in the context of public land, then presto : Not disallowed on private land, with permission . You gotta help farmer bob find his wife's ring, don't you ?

And here's a thought : If whomever answers your question says "Yes" or "No", then : Where do you think they're getting their answer from ? Are they merely making up whimsical mood-driven arbitrary opinion ? Or are they basing their "yes" or "no" on ACTUAL LAWS ? I mean, if you were to follow it up and say "But where is that written ?", you KNOW they're going to HAVE to reference it, to whatever they think lent that "yes" or "no". Right ? They're NOT just going to say : "Because I said so and because I feel like it". Right ?

I think you can agree that whatever answer they give you , that it's implied that they're telling you something that's been codified somewhere. RIGHT ? Ok then, why can't the general public look it up ?

And if it's silent on the subject, and not addressed, and not *clearly* apply to you, then presto !! So be it ! Then so too are you not guilty of violating anything. You do NOT need a "law" that says "md'ing allowed here" (ie.: An express allowance). No more so than anyone needs a "law" that "allows" them to fly frisbees, for instance. If it's not disallowed, then .... presto, it's not disallowed. If it's a law that applies to public land or registered historic monuments, then presto : Avoid those singular said places.

The problem with asking desk-jockeys "can I ?", is that this "pressing question" can get passed desk to desk (by persons that, quite frankly, perhaps never gave it a moments thought, nor would have cared). It goes up the chain of command, until it lands on the desk of a purist archie. Who decides "Gee, we need to address this pressing issue loophole", etc...

There are countless examples of this happening at smaller city and county levels where I'm at. And I've even seen proof of it happening on the state level (where it was never an issue, until some md'rs MADE it an issue). And in one case that I can cite, even almost became an issue on a country-wide level (long story).
 
Yep sounds pretty much like a grey area. You do have potentially another option to think about. Go online and check to see if you could rent a detector for the duration of your stay. That way you don't have to worry about your machine and if you do get the permission you want you have the gear to start hunting. Just a thought.
 
I have seen show & tell coming from Ireland. So .... if it's somehow illegal, border-to-border, how can that be ? Are we to assume they're doing something illegal ? If they had thought so, then CERTAINLY they wouldn't be coming on to any social media, to show off their latest finds. Right ?

For pete's sake , just go help farmer bob look for the ring his wife lost last week. And shucks, I never find old coins, DO YOU ? :impatient:

Reminds me of a post I saw from someone getting ready to go to Japan. And they were "fretting themselves silly" because they couldn't find any laws about metal detectors, for Japan. And to whatever extent they COULD get someone's opinion, it hinged on stuff like lost & found laws, etc... (which, is obviously silly, but ... whomever they'd reached, thought that must apply). And this md'r just couldn't bring himself to realize that the ABSENCE of specific rules forbidding are all that he needs. Instead, he kept thinking he should be able to find a law or a rule that says "md'ing allowed here". Ie.: an express allowance .

Why do we md'rs think this way ? Since when is our actions so reviled and harmful, that they need express sanction/permission ? Since when can't farmer bob look for his wife's wedding ring ? Why do md'rs make it so difficult for themselves, and then end up swatting hornets' nests and getting new rules against them ??
 

backwater, don't you see the glaring lack there, in that thread ? Someone merely comes on and asserts that. Without actually pointing to any *actual* law. Perhaps something the O.P. hears, and merely parrots .

FINALLY, in post #11, someone comes on with a link to some actual link to codified laws. But even THEN, you read it and see that it's talking about public land. Ok, fine then, hunt private farmers fields with permission.

And notice the date of the law they cite : 1930. Hhhhhmmm : This would be NO DIFFERENT than if you were to be a visitor coming to the USA, and went asking enough archies if you can detect, that ..... I have no doubt that some of them would point to ARPA (1909) and tell you "no". YET WE ALL KNOW that this only applies to federal land. It doesn't subrogate downwards to city and private land. But sure as sh*t, you can always find a purist archie who differs with that (go figure, they hate md'rs). I HAVE ACTUALLY MET THIS TYPE MINDSET, who will try to tell you that you can't even dig an old coin on your own land, blah blah.

So a bit of reading-between-the-lines is needed about that thread, and links it contains.

Also notice a revision date of 2014 on that link in post #11. I have a sneaking suspicion why any such "clarification" got added in 2014. CARE TO TAKE A GUESS ?? !! :mad: :roll:
 
I thought since the O.P. asked about beaches that first line might give him some reason to stay on the positive. "" It's illegal to use a metal detector in Ireland, except on the beach. "" Check & join some forums and see what's going on over there, ask some Q's, maybe you'll get an invite or at least the facts.
 
I have a great contact over in Ireland. He says all I have to do is let him know I'm going and he will put me in touch with his family over there that has farms.
My concern though, is not with the local police. It's when I try to bring it home and customs asks when where that nice little bag of hammered coins came from.
 
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My concern though, is not with the local police. It's when I try to bring it home and customs asks when where that nice little bag of hammered coins came from.

This subject has come up in the past. And here's how you resolve that :

Coin collecting (of old and even ancient coins) is not restricted to persons in the USA or Britain. Right ? Numismatics is a hobby IN ANY COUNTRY on earth. Right ? And as such, it would not be unusual to buy/sell/trade .... IN ANY COUNTRY. Right ? They would have their own versions of coin stores. Or their own version of Ebay (or ... heck, ... simply Ebay in their native tongue). And therefore it would not be unusual for anyone in Ireland, or a tourist on vacation there, to have simply bought coins. Right ?

In fact, you could test this theory, for Ireland in-particular, by simply going to Ebay, and typing in a search criteria that you only want to see seller listings from Ireland. And then ... presto : You could see if anyone there is selling old coins. Or perhaps they have some social media auction site that functions the same way. Or brick & mortar walk-in stores. The bottom line is : There is no doubt buy/sell/trade of coins there, just like anywhere else. Right ?

Ok, then what's to stop you from selling your coins to yourself (broker them through an auction site, or simply get a "receipt" from a coin-store). Or simply ship them back to the USA through the regular postal service. Because I bet you could buy coins from a seller there, and the seller would be able to ship them to another country. Right ? This is not unusual for collectibles to pass through the mail . So why would coins be any different ?

A buddy of mine is into antique vintage collector art-glass. And in the course of his buy/sell, he routinely ships in and out of the USA, no problem. So why wouldn't coins likewise be trading on the open market, in the same fashion ? Who's to say they were "dug", and weren't simply "in the market" ?
 
You go first and let us know how it works out for you...


This subject has come up in the past. And here's how you resolve that :

Coin collecting (of old and even ancient coins) is not restricted to persons in the USA or Britain. Right ? Numismatics is a hobby IN ANY COUNTRY on earth. Right ? And as such, it would not be unusual to buy/sell/trade .... IN ANY COUNTRY. Right ? They would have their own versions of coin stores. Or their own version of Ebay (or ... heck, ... simply Ebay in their native tongue). And therefore it would not be unusual for anyone in Ireland, or a tourist on vacation there, to have simply bought coins. Right ?

In fact, you could test this theory, for Ireland in-particular, by simply going to Ebay, and typing in a search criteria that you only want to see seller listings from Ireland. And then ... presto : You could see if anyone there is selling old coins. Or perhaps they have some social media auction site that functions the same way. Or brick & mortar walk-in stores. The bottom line is : There is no doubt buy/sell/trade of coins there, just like anywhere else. Right ?

Ok, then what's to stop you from selling your coins to yourself (broker them through an auction site, or simply get a "receipt" from a coin-store). Or simply ship them back to the USA through the regular postal service. Because I bet you could buy coins from a seller there, and the seller would be able to ship them to another country. Right ? This is not unusual for collectibles to pass through the mail . So why would coins be any different ?

A buddy of mine is into antique vintage collector art-glass. And in the course of his buy/sell, he routinely ships in and out of the USA, no problem. So why wouldn't coins likewise be trading on the open market, in the same fashion ? Who's to say they were "dug", and weren't simply "in the market" ?


You go first and let us know how it works out for you...
 
So, just to follow up on this thread - metal detecting is allowed on beaches in Ireland, the only caveat would be detecting anywhere that listed as a "heritage site", a permit is required from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs (DARRA). Detecting without a permit will result in a hefty fine and confiscation of your property...and I don't intend on testing that rule, especially overseas.

The beach where I will be said "have at it and make sure to cover your holes", seems a fair enough request.
 
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