INTRODUCTION

After many years of reading with interest the work being carried out in the UK and abroad, written up in the British Section News of the Palaeopathology Association and in ORGAN, we've decided to put phalanges to keyboard here in Ireland. 

This circulation Newsletter is an attempt by the growing community of human remains specialists in both the North and South of Ireland to reciprocate with notes, news and views of what is currently happening. We have taken the opportunity to give a list of those working in the field, their interests and current research as well as contact telephone numbers/addresses. Each of the specialists would be only too glad to share common information and hear from others working in their field.

It has also been pointed out to us that many publications in Ireland may have escaped notice and so a non-chronological list of publications (somewhat incomplete) from over the last decade is also included. If any of these are of interest and cannot be accessed by you - why not contact the author directly - as listed below.

The "Celtic Tiger" economy of the last decade has led to the recovery of a number of large cemeteries and the consequent problems that have already been encountered in the UK. These include the questions of guidelines for excavation and treatment of human remains, sampling (see the centre pages of this issue), curation and the ever-thorny question of lack of publication venues. All of these issues are contained somewhere in this Newsletter.

So, here it is. Any ideas, comments or contributions gratefully received and to everyone out there - all our best wishes for 1999.

 

Laureen Buckley,

Acting Editor, Irish Section News.