tricasgood
Newbie
- Jun 10, 2013
- 3
- 0
- Detector(s) used
- Garrett AT PRO, Fisher F2
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Have you contacted Metal Detectors Ireland to ask them about this ? What metal detectors are you referring to that were prosecuted ? The only prosecution that I have read of in recent years was a father and son who were prosecuted for possessing Artefacts but they were not prosecuted for possession of their metal detectors.? I have also read a post by one of the sons of the actual facts of the case which differ completely from the scaremongering newspaper article which included an interview with Mr Kelly.
Also what made you contact the museum to ask for their advice instead of the police ? Archaeologists seem to think that a member of the general public using a metal detector is akin to handing a scalpel to a lay person and allowing them to operate! (Which in my opinion is extremely arrogant!) With all due respect to Mr Kelly he seems to be doing exactly what they don't want other people to do i.e. someone elses job! He is interpreting a very unclear law which he is not qualified to do as he is neither solicitor nor judge.
By the way I do not see anywhere in the law where it say that you have to give your address to Mr Kelly or that you have to fill out "statutory forms", you are of course required to hand over your finds but sure can't you just post them and include some details on where they were found ? I have read on other forums of people meeting a representative of the museum to hand over their finds and instead of being met with some interest in where they found the objects they were met with a stony faced curate and a huge lecture on the illegality of metal detectors.
I personally cannot understand the museums stance on this, they seem to enjoy trying to frighten the bejasus out of people into not using metal detectors with their threats of the police and jail terms. Instead of trying to educate hobbyists on the importance of handing over any accidental finds they frighten them into being too afraid to hand them over at all. It also says on the National Museum website that if you find an object in a legitimate manner you are paid finder’s reward, well the "legitimate" part means that if you find it with a metal detector you get squat! Not exactly encouraging, now is it ?? They also seem to think it better that the next Ardagh Hoard remain buried forever or chewed up by a plough rather than have someone find it with a metal detector. Go figure!
Maybe every hobbyist out there should start bombarding the museum with every piece of junk they find.. Just in case it's an artefact! You wouldn't want to end up in prison for keeping some Viking nose ring that you thought was from a beer can, now would you!
Hello!!
I have contacted Ron, and told him about my troubles with National Museum. But he never called me back! I'm a member of IMDAI but it doesn't change anything. I was warned few times by archaeologists, that use of Metal Detector without permission and without excavation permission is illegal in Ireland. Eventually Eamon Kelly and Nessa O'Connor came to my house and revised all the items I have found. We had a really productive time followed by logical explanations in accordance to the law. I did a research myself on the top of that and I'm pretty sure that IMDAI isn't formal body approved by any authority in Ireland at all. They can sell Metal Detecting devices as the vendors and they won't be prosecuted for it, but a person purchasing and using a metal detector is a "criminal". You can state in your websites that you are not detecting for the profit and not to discover archaeological objects but this doesn't change anything. You may hear some metal under the surface on your device, but you are not allowed to dig it up without the license and permission. Every object located under the sand, dirt, or any surface has it's own history and the background. I found lot of objects which I had to hand in to National Museum to avoid prosecution. You are thinking that IMDAI tells you something that sounds reasonable but still a possession of a Metal Detecting device is illegal no matter what you will do and what you will say. That's the law and there's nothing we can do about it I'm afraid. I lost me money purchasing such device from IMDAI along with the "license" which I can literally wipe me arse with. You must be aware that if you will be stopped by a Garda officer on the beach, your device might be confiscated, Garda officer might launch a case against you and he will win - that's the law and there is nothing we can do about it!!
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