45 replies to this topic

[mullien]

Words in the wind; vast acreage of written words, some duplicitous, but the motorway still goes on no matter how many people speak out........

A letter to the Irish Times from Professor Eogan, he also gave a short interview to Tara Watch on the site of Rath Lugh on Sunday......

http://hilloftara.bl...-tarawatch.html


Irish Times, 26 March 2008

MOTORWAY WORKS AT TARA
Madam, - I was very disappointed to read in last Friday's Irish Times
that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
John Gormley, declared himself satisfied that the National Roads
Authority proposals, if implemented, would result in the protection of
the monument at Rath Lugh.
This is not so as the monument and its environment have already been
mutilated by work carried out on the proposed route of the motorway.
Rath Lugh and its environment is an integral part of the Tara
archaeological and cultural complex. Its environment includes the
significant Gabhra Valley to the west towards the Hill of Tara. The
latter area is now reduced to a strip of rubble as a result of work
carried out by and with the authority of the present Government of which
Mr Gormley is a member. Furthermore, Rath Lugh is now divorced from the
archaeological complex of which it formed a part from its construction
many centuries ago.
As a result of the destruction, which I witnessed a couple of days ago,
a "new" environment has now emerged, the personality of the area is
being destroyed.
Standing on Rath Lugh and looking across the Gabhra Valley the main
feature of that area is now the equivalent of a "race track" with heavy
machinery driving up and down at considerable speed and creating
vibrations which can be felt on Rath Lugh.
In the area that I visited three lines of defence were in place.
The outermost is a spiked iron fence up to eight feet in height and
secured in concrete, next came security personnel and further inwards
were members of the Garda Síochána.
For me, this was an intimidating experience and one that I never
expected to see in order to facilitate the destruction, by our own
Government, of a key portion of our own great archaeological
inheritance. - Yours, etc,
GEORGE EOGAN, Brighton Road, Rathgar, Dublin.
................................................................

[Bettina]

Irish Independent, Monday April 07 2008
'Squeak' set to resume her Tara tunnel protest
By Breda Heffernan
A woman who spent three days in an underground tunnel in a failed bid to
halt construction of a motorway has vowed to resume her subterranean
protest.
Bicycle courier Lisa Feeney, also known as 'Squeak', was persuaded to
leave the tunnel after coming to an agreement with the National Roads
Authority (NRA).
However with construction work resumed on the M3 at Rath Lugh in Co
Meath, the 26-year-old has threatened to take up her protest once more.
"There's a new plan and although I can't talk about it yet, I know it
will definitely bring the spotlight back to Tara. Let's say the badgers
have been at work which means more tunnels," she said.
Protesters are demanding that the path of the motorway be re-routed away
from an esker at the historic fort at Rath Lugh, sited two miles from
the Hill of Tara.
Last month Ms Feeney spent 60-hours holed up at the bottom of a tunnel dug.
Breda Heffernan

Irish Independent, Monday April 07 2008
Landowners secure €120m windfall from controversial M3
By Paul Melia
ALMOST €120m has been spent on land to build the controversial M3
motorway linking Dublin with the north east.
The cost makes the motorway among the most expensive road-building
projects undertaken here, and represents a windfall for landowners who
received an average of almost €69,000 per acre.
Yesterday Meath County Council, which is buying land on behalf of the
National Roads Authority, said it had spent €117m buying the 1,700 acres
needed to build the 47km carriageway which has been bitterly opposed by
campaigners and archaeologists.
A contentious section between Dunshaughlin and Navan runs through the
heart of the Tara/Skryne Valley and it is claimed that it has already
resulted in a national monument being destroyed to make way for the road.
Campaigners claim irreparable damage will be caused to archaeology in
the area to facilitate construction works.
A council spokesman said yesterday that although a "small number" of
landowners were in dispute with the council over the amount paid, it did
not expect the total spend to rise.
If the M3 opens on schedule in July 2010, almost 23,000 vehicles a day
are expected to use it. This will lead to toll payments of at least €13m
a year.
The cost of building the road is expected to be between €800m and €1bn.
It will bypass the towns of Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells.
Campaigners yesterday conceded that, given the amount spent, it would be
a brave politician who decided to halt construction.
But they said the land purchases represented an opportunity for the
State to build a heritage park along the controversial section of the
road, between Dunshaughlin and Navan, which could provide employment in
the local area and be a major draw for tourists.
"I don't think Brian Cowen's the man to stop it [construction]," Michael
Canney from the Campaign to Save Tara said.
"The money is spent but we would always have advocated a heritage and
tourism resource, and it's about time the land was in public ownership.
"If people decide it's better to use it as a tourism resource, it's
almost an opportunity."
Laura Grealish from Tarawatch added there was "room for manoeuvre" as
other uses could be made of the land.
"I'm sure they could find another use for that land such as turning the
area into a tourism centre," she said.
- Paul Melia

[ren]

Thanx for the updates Bettina and mullien.Let's keep posting about Tara and her fight.

[mullien]

ren, on 8 April 2008, 16:44, said:

Thanx for the updates Bettina and mullien.Let's keep posting about Tara and her fight.

Where to start? land deals that went into millions? hmm, from what I've read people brought up land so they could sell at a higher price ;(

The following is one side of the story in the Meath Chronicle a councillor is telling the protestors to go back to Afghanistan, Nick Killian; "described the protestors as "time-wasters" and "a plague on society" and suggested they would find their true vocation in mysticism and heritage with the Taliban."

The other side, and Tara has firm friends in the EU, who are fighting the slowness of the bureacracy wheel.....
EU accused of failing
- to halt "Taliban destruction" of Tara

By - Paul Melia and Treacy Hogan.

THE impact of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara was compared with the "Taliban's destruction of Afghanistan's heritage" at an EU parliament committee yesterday.

Members of the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society made an impassioned plea to the parliament's petitions committee yesterday to intervene in the row.

The society claimed the EU was not prepared to take action against Ireland for not enforcing regulations aimed at protecting heritage. The group was one of three which made submissions yesterday.

Spokesman Martin Dier said hopes the EU Commission might intervene and stop construction had been "dashed", adding that a "destruction akin to the Taliban's destruction of Afghanistan's cultural heritage" had been perpetrated.

"We first approached your committee in June 2005, at a time when we believed it was still possible to avert a major cultural disaster", he said.

"We believe that the M3/Tara situation is a glaring example of the inadequate protections given to our archaeological and cultural heritage. All through our involvement with the process we have experienced ignorance, incompetence, obstruction, inequality, wilful misinformation, ticking-of-the-boxes exercises dressed up as public consultation and the pervading influence of vested business and political interests".


Controversy

The project has been dogged by controversy since it emerged a section of the motorway would travel through the Tara/Skryne Valley, an important archaeological site.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) rejected claims that the public consultation process was a rubber-stamping exercise, saying a "rigorous" consultation process was undertaken.

The other petitions on the M3 came from Andrew McGrath, on behalf of the Tara Foundation, and Kim Montia.

MEP Kathy Sinnott said the petitioners had showed how the EU Commission had failed to act in a timely manner.

"The European Commission is taking the Irish Government to court for construction that is illegal under the Environmental Impact Assessment directive", she said. "However, delays in taking action have allowed the Irish Government and the NRA to continue to destroy some of Ireland's most important heritage. Petitioners rightfully demand an explanation from the Commission for their failure".

© The Irish Independent, 2nd. April 2008.

[Bettina]

Update from camp at Rath Lugh

New Tunnel Filled In

Yesterday 13 Security entered beyond the fence line into Rath Lugh and filled in a new tunnel with cement. The tunnel like structure was 15-20 ft away from the boundary fence and work commenced on it 3 weeks ago. One Garda was present during the time of filling it in.

There have been renewed threats to evict the new Front Line Camp which was moved closer to the same boundary fence just recently. The small shaft like tunnel was only a few feet deep and designed for a lock in in the face of an eviction.

ATTACKS

There have been several attacks recently against camp members under cover of night by Security wearing balaclavas and carrying baseball bats. Last week they stole the Generator and then returned it minus the fuel cap and with mud in the oil and petrol, rendering it useless. This Generator is a vital part of equipment used to recharge mobile phones, cameras and laptops and is essential for communication with the outside world as well as other functions.

A new Generator is needed to replace the one that was vandalised along with other necessary equipment. Please donate what you can to the Direct Action .

Tara Solidarity Vigil Account
AIB Navan
Sort Code 93-21-83
Account NO. 43326084

For International Banking please give the following details to your
Bank:
IBAN Current Account IE70 BOF1-90 34-37 28- 43 44 33

Your help is Urgently needed and much appreciated.
Thank you.

http://www.indymedia...e#comment225782

[Bettina]

12/4/08
http://www.meathchro...y.asp?stID=2595
OPW in move to remove Hill of Tara `squatters`

John Donohoe reports
THE Office of Public Works (OPW) has served a formal notice to quit on
what it has described as `squatters` on the Hill of Tara this week.
Minister of State at the OPW, Noel Ahern, has told Meath East TD Thomas
Byrne the move is being made in response to concerns of local people
that damage was being done to the hill by M3 motorway protestors living
in camps there.
Mr Ahern said that the OPW had "become increasingly concerned at the
proliferation of squatters on the Hill of Tara, and particularly at the
increase in tents and other shelters which have been placed on the
monument and its immediate surroundings".
Mr Ahern said that fires are lit regularly and heavy timbers are being
brought onto the site. "All of this activity is damaging to the surface
of the national monument and its unique features," Mr Ahern added in a
letter to Meath East TD, Deputy Thomas Byrne.
"We have been endeavouring to persuade the people concerned that they
should stop their activities and leave the site, but, so far, to no
avail," he added.
The minister said that, on Friday 14th March last, the OPW issued a
formal notice to quit to anybody that they found on-site when their
staff visited. The notice made it clear that if the people now occupying
the site did not leave within seven days, the OPW would take further
action to ensure that the site is vacated and the monument protected.
"During this period, we are keeping the situation under close watch and
are fully prepared to go to law if necessary to move the squatters off
the site if they do not comply with the notice," Mr Ahern said.
This week a spokesperson for the OPW said that it hoped the people
involved would move of their own volition, and that they would not have
to go down the legal route and obtain an injunction.
Deputy Byrne welcomed the move and said that local heritage needed to be
protected.
"The local people, as well as politicians, were growing increasingly
concerned at damage being done to the hill," Deputy Byrne said. "It is
ironic that those claiming to be protecting it are actually damaging it
further, particularly as it is obvious at this stage that the motorway
is not going near the monument," he said.
At the weekend, Lisa `Squeak` Feeney, who had hidden in a tunnel dug by
anti-M3 protestors along the motorway route for almost a week at
Lismullen last month, said that she plans to resume her protest and that
there are more tunnels in existence on Rath Lugh, near Skryne.
Meanwhile, in Brussels last week, Meath Archaeological and Historical
Society made a presentation on the M3 issue to the European Parliament
Committee on Petitions.
Assistant secretary of the society, Martin Dier, delivered a slide
presentation and presented a written submission compiled by Julitta
Clancy containing a number of observations and recommendations, as well
as detailed responses to the Petitions Committee report following their
visit to Tara last year, and the Commission`s reply to the MAHS petition
of June 2005.
.........................................................
Council chairman and the Taliban
Dear sir - Once again the Taliban rears its head. They were name-checked
twice this week. Once, when members of the Meath Archaeological and
Historical Society were making their case to the EU parliament`s
petitions committee in relation to the destruction of the Tara-Skryne
Valley, and again by Colr Killian at a recent conference in Trim.
Of course, the MAHS suggested that the impact of the M3 motorway near
the Hill of Tara was comparable with the "Taliban`s destruction of
Afghanistan`s heritage" whereas Colr Killian suggested that the
protestors should "leave Ireland and join the Taliban".
Colr Killian, in his tenure as Meath County Council cathaoirleach, has
managed to say quite a few daft things about the M3 debacle, but perhaps
the most bizarre is his recent suggestion that the Rath Lugh protestors
had "desecrated the area by camping".
In linguistic terms alone, it`s a bizarre, oxymoronic mangling of words.
It sits alongside a litany of xenophobia and the worst kind of parochial
Irish politics. He is happy to welcome `others` from outside the county,
but only if they don`t meddle in Meath`s affairs. Perhaps it`s time to
reinstate Meath as the famous fifth province? Only then will Cllr
Killian be truly happy.
I suggest Colr Killian should spend more time explaining to hard-pressed
commuters why they have been sold a pup of a motorway that will be
tolled twice, explain why town bypasses that would have solved most of
their travel problems years ago were shelved, and why it is taking so
long to reinstate the rail link.
Had more sensible solutions to Meath`s problems been sought and
introduced years ago, then we would not have had the "plague on
society", as the councillor put it, camping out at Tara to protect our
heritage, and the over-worked PRO for the Taliban would not have to
spend so much time defending the indefensible. Assuming there is such a
role. If not, I can suggest an excellent candidate.
Yours,
Declan Kenny,
Black Lodge,
Mill Lane,
Leixlip,
Co Kildare.
.................................
Council chairman should resign over protester remarks
(Editor, Meath Chronicle)
Dear sir - If Colr Nicholas Killian made the remarks reported in your
newspaper (Meath Chronicle, 5 April 2008) then he should resign his
position as cathaoirleach.
They were at best inaccurate and at worst ignorant and outright racist.
Need I remind him that those camped at Rath Lugh are expressing their
own form of protest and that many others have expressed their protest in
letters, statements, marches and appearing at the aerial art event on Tara?
He suggests, outrageously, that protesters should leave Ireland and join
the Taliban. How many university departments will be depleted while
lucky Afghanistan will be full of old Irish, history and archaeology
lecturers and professors.
Perhaps Seamus Heaney, Jim Fitzpatrick, David Norris, Louis le Brocquy
and the 70 per cent of Irish people who believe that this route should
be changed should also leave?
Ireland is becoming a dictatorship where no dissenting voice is to be
heard. Colr Killian, the members of Meath County Council and the NRA
should be exiled to live with the Taliban for ruining the heritage in
their care. Apart from the outrageous route chosen for the M3, there is
the hotel beside the castle that Mr Killian was praising, the unsightly
pylons that could decorate the view to the west of royal Tara and the
recent planning permission for 745 houses close to the site of the
Battle of the Boyne.
Need I remind him that Tara is part of the world`s heritage and does not
belong to him or his Fianna Fáil cohorts? Remarks like this and the
behaviour of such philistines makes me ashamed to be Irish. I no longer
wish to visit Tara and view the desecration of her landscape and of Rath
Lugh or bring foreign students to visit the county.
Yours,
Dr Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin,
Lecturer in Celtic Studies,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.

[Bettina]

Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp Evicted

Eyewitness account of todays events at Rath Lugh

Shortly before 1 o clock today there was a peaceful eviction of the Rath Lugh Camp. Four Protectors who were on site were told by Gardai that they had to be out by 1 o clock and to gather up their belongings and leave. This was not done in an aggressive manner and was complied with by the Protectors.

Once they had left the woods no one was allowed back in. There were 20 Gardai, 3 Garda Cars plus 2 Vans as well as about a dozen Construction Workers at the entrance to the woods as this was happening. A steel fence has now been erected separating the Rath from the public road. A mini digger is busy creating a path and a low loader is in situ.

In a sinister twist after the eviction, a female Protector was taking photographs from her car when she was approached by a man with an MD SECURITY yellow vest on and wearing a Balaclava! This was about 200mt from Gardai. He was harassing her about taking photographs even though she was perfectly entitled to do so and parked on a public road. Amazingly when she made a complaint to a Garda he denied that there were any men in balaclavas in the vicinity. Just as he said that, 2 Security men ran past them, both wearing balaclavas! The Garda refused to do anything about this and threatened to arrest her under the Housing and Miscellaneous Act!!!

Mark Cleary has just appeared with his camera.

There will be a video of this incident and the eviction issued shortly.


Related Link: http://www.tarapixie.net

Please see the Indymedia article for photos and updates: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87223

[Bettina]

Archaeological treasures being 'left exposed in open-air sites'

Massive road-building programme has seen a surge in historical finds

By JOHN DRENNAN

Sunday Independent - May 04 2008

Priceless archaeological treasures are being "left exposed in open-air
sites" because the National Museum of Ireland has accumulated so many
artifacts that it has no place to store them.

An unanticipated consequence of the massive road-building programme is
that archaeology is one of the State's largest growth industries.

This year more than €25m of the National Road Authority's €1.68bn road
programme will be spent digging up historical sites in the path of
roadways and saving the material unearthed for the future.

But while the NRA's archaeological programme meets the highest European
standards, the huge turnover of material has created a crisis for the
cash-strapped National Museum.

Collins Barracks in Dublin was the main storage area for finds. But,
according to Fine Gael spokesperson on the arts Olivia Mitchell, it is
now so full that "curators cannot even gain access to the material let
alone catalogue it''.

A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General revealed that
1.5 million objects were awaiting classification and that there had
been a four-fold increase in excavation licenses in a decade.

The Roads Authority says it expects to spend €300m on archaeological
digs over the life span of Transport 21.

"It's like a conveyor belt at the moment, it won't stop. The museum is
even telling archaeologists not to give them any more material," said
the Fine Gael Deputy.

"We have a wealth of knowledge lying in an undocumented heap exposed to
the elements or buried in an Indiana Jones-like crypt in. It really is
appalling. People are on their hands and knees picking material out of
sites and then it's being dumped in a heap."

The controversy is set to be even more embarrassing because Ireland
will be hosting the World Archaeological Conference shortly -- and
distinguished guests may be told that while unused e-voting machines
are stored with care and attention archaeological treasures are dumped
in the open air.

- JOHN DRENNAN

[shiny]

I was sent the following message by "Tara Watch".........................





     Tribune Archive


Mysterious disappearance of Hill of Tara monument will cause 'world of trouble'
Jamie Deasy
Sunday Tribune 27/04/08





GARDAI in Co Meath are investigating the mysterious disappearance of a commemorative monument situated on the Hill of Tara, dedicated to those killed in a battle with the British army during the ill-fated 1798 rebellion. The memorial stone was built into a wall on the roadside on the border between the townlands of Odder and Castleboy on the Hill of Tara.



The inscription on the granite memorial stone read: "1798-1998 In memory of the Croppies who gave their lives for Ireland, 26 May 1798 Erin Go Bragh.

"

The five-feet by three-feet granite monument, erected in 1998 by a group called Comoradh Rioch na Mhi, also depicted a pike, which was the weapon most commonly used by the ill-equipped patriots.



Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Patrick Pryle, one of the founding members of Comoradh Rioch na Mhi and a resident of Skyrne, said whoever removed the memorial had wiped out all traces of its existence.



"Someone has pulled out the bank where the memorial was located, it has been re-landscaped and grass seed has been sown on it, " he said.



"There is going to be a world of trouble about this. I have got calls from pike groups in Wexford who are going to organise buses to come up here and protest. These people consider Tara to be sacred. They set up groups to commemorate the rebellion in Wexford.



He added that he has written to the Office of Public Works, the Meath county manager and the chief superintendent of the gardai in Navan asking them to investigate the matter.



"The attack on this monument is a direct attack on the state, its laws, its institutions and our own very freedom. The men, women and children who lie in those unmarked graves have earned our respect and they should be allowed to lie in peace, " he continued.



"It is sacred land and it is under the protection of the state and it is up to the state to protect its own property and the memory of these people who died for Ireland.

"

The Hill of Tara played a central role in the failed rebellion organized by the United Irishmen.



On 26 May 1798, in one of the most significant incidents of the revolt, some 5,000 natives of counties Meath, Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Westmeath assembled on the Hill of Tara to support the insurrection.



However, like in most other parts of the country, the crown forces defeated the rebels and it is estimated up to 400 of them were killed on the Hill of Tara where they still lay buried to this day in unmarked graves.



The 1798 rebellion was probably the bloodiest outbreak of violence in Irish history and resulted in an estimated 15,000-30,000 deaths over a three-month period.



A spokesperson for the Office of Public Works said they were investigating the matter and were attempting to establish whether the memorial was located on public land.



Sergeant Tom Flynn at Navan garda station also confirmed the gardai are investigating the case.



He urged anyone with information to contact Navan gardai at 046 9079930.




============================================================================

Is anybody in control at the OPW??

Shiny.

[shiny]

Today I have been sent the following message by "Tara Watch"...........................


       07 May 2008, 02:03  
Subject: Tara Protestors Picket Ahern at Boyne Site Today
Body:

..boynedemo2.jpg..

..

Irish News -  Tara Protestors Demonstrate Against Ahern in Meath
Village Magazine - An Open Letter to Bertie Ahern
Breaking News. ie - Tara Protestors Demonstrate Against Ahern in Meath
Irish Examiner - Tara Protestors Demonstrate Against Ahern in Meath
Ireland Online - Breaking News - Tara Protestors Demonstrate Ahern in Meath
..

Tara Protestors Picket Ahern At Boyne Site

4NI Northern Ireland News - 06 May 2008

Protestors used today's opening of the Battle of the Boyne site as a platform to criticise the outgoing Taoiseach's reign and to protest against the plans for the construction of the M3 motorway. The 'Save Tara' protestors descended on the official opening of the 500-acre site, which borders Co Louth - bought by the state in 1999 to preserve the site - to mark outgoing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's time in power as a "monument to bad planning and unsustainable development".

Mr Ahern was today making his final official public engagement before he submits his resignation to President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin this evening, marking the end of his 11-year reign as Taoiseach.

Vincent Salafia, a Dublin lawyer from TaraWatch, criticised Mr Ahern, saying: "When it comes to the environment, Bertie has not been a 'fixer' or a 'peacemaker'. He has been a wrecker and a bully.

"The Tara dispute is driving a stake through the tourist potential of Ireland, which is the only industry that we will have left to rely on, if things keep going the way they are. We will now be closing the Bertie petition, and launching a UNESCO petition, to ask them that the M3 be rerouted, before Tara is declared a World Heritage site.

"

The Hill of Tara, located near the Boyne site has been a major source of contention in the past few years. Thousands of protestors have asked the Irish government to re-route the M3 motorway from the Hill, as they believe it will destroy the heritage. A petition containing almost 40,000 names was handed to Mr Ahern's office urging him to reconsider the route as one of is last acts of office.

(JM/NS)

..For more information visit www. tarawatch. org

[Bettina]

From Indymedia and Save Tara

Tara Vigil Camp Being Evicted

About a half an hour ago 20 Gardai, 20 OPW and 10-15 MD Security descended on the Hill to evict the Vigil Camp.

2 Loader lorries and 12 other vehicles are currently there . The Temple structure has been dismantled, chopped into pieces and removed. They are now dismantling the A Chairde hut and the Tipi. The seven Vigil Keepers on site were not given time to remove their personal items and there is no channel of communication open as the workers turn their backs. There is no negotiation .

The OPW Archaeologist said that she would PERSONALLY put out the fire . She is referring to the Vigil Fire that has been burning for the Valley since Summer Solstice June 06.

URGENT

Phone credit is urgently needed on the Vigil phone. Also urgent is the need for cameras and witnesses to document this. Please do whatever you can NOW. Send credit , bring help.

VIGIL PH: 086 1758557

Related Link: http://www.tarapixie.net

[Bettina]

Dempsey's comments drive Tara road rage
Page 12, Irish Echo (Australia) May 7 - 20, 2008

In it's March 26 edition, the Irish Echo published an article titled "Critics of Tara Road 'misled': Dempsey", in which the visiting Irish Transport Minister Noel Dempsey's "dig" at Irish Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney revealed a lack of reverence for Irish heritage. In response to Professor Heaney's statement that the development of the M3 through the Tara Skryne Valley is a "ruthless desecration", Dempsey said, "I've never known Seamus to be an expert in the planning process."

A growing number of published reports reveal that Minister Dempsey's expertise in planning is failing the risk-management test – through not only a general lack of planning expertise, and planning for urgent climate change compliance, but in maintaining due process of Irish law. For example, "The "Gateway to Meath" industrial park plan has been knocked back on grounds of illegal process and pressure by lobbyists, while Meath Co. Council's approval for 745 houses to be built on the site of the Battle of the Boyne, very near Newgrange, is currently being appealed.

Minister Dempsey celebrates the fact that he was the youngest Chairman of the Meath County Council - 1986-87. He gives the impression that he is of the school of economics that puts real estate speculation on an untouchable pedestal. For example, Raymond Potterton, of Raymond Potterton & Co. auctioneers and estate agents, specialising in residential property in Meath (www.raymondpotterton.com) was appointed to the Board of the National Roads Authority (NRA) on 12th February 2002, by then Minister for the Environment Noel Dempsey. And, the current Chairman of the NRA is Peter Malone,
– also Chairman of CB Richard Ellis, Ireland, one of the largest real estate developers in the world.

In the Echo interview, Minister Dempsey repeated the now infamous pro-M3 line, "There is not a place in Co. Meath where you could stick a spade in the ground without hitting something of potential archaeological interest." However, there is an
alternative shorter and cheaper route, and one that will not violate National Heritage sites, to the west of the Hill of Tara, along the disused old Navan Rail line.

In several national polls, the vast majority of Irish people have repeatedly shown that they do not want the M3 to go through the Tara Skryne Valleys. And, in support of friends and family living in Ireland, a growing number of Irish ex-pats are expressing serious concerns re. the current Irish government's apparent lack of interest in Ireland's great heritage and
cultural destiny.

The Irish Government's FLOOD / Mahon Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, commonly known as the Mahon Tribunal in honor of its current chairman, and known previously as the Flood Tribunal, was established by the Irish Government on November 4, 1997. Page 2 of the The Flood Tribunal Report says this: "On the 31st March 1996, the Sunday Business Post published an article by a journalist, Mr. Frank Connolly, under the heading, "Fianna Fáil Politician paid off by Developers." The ramifications of this ongoing inquiry are still playing out, as seen in the sudden resignation of
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Prime Minister of Ireland, with International headlines such as, "Irish prime minister resigns amid probes".

Since the real estate market leads the economy, I predict that when the growing recession hits harder, developers will be quick to say that development creates jobs. "Do you want jobs?" they'll ask. They will argue that, to provide those jobs, they must build housing and industrial estates along the many new superhighways, (attracting more toll paying drivers
in the process). According to the Irish Ministry of Transport 2021 planning agenda, these freeways will fan out from Dublin, across Ireland, – such as the M3 through the Hill of Tara environs. And, the Irish people, out of desperation, may well allow them to continue to desecrate their heritage, pollute their environment, and pour concrete over prime agricultural lands. A new book "Confident New Ireland", describes Ireland as "set on Americanization". But during the boom years, the country lost the link between the generation of national wealth on the one hand, and the ability to relate it to the needs of ordinary people. Part of the problem is the Government's continued focus on growth while abdicating accountability in important matters. Now the money is all gone and the social services, infrastructure, and economic stabilizers have not been put in place, and we must struggle to protect our heritage.

Yes, influential speculators and developers paid farm prices for the land along the route of the M3, long before the route was chosen. This is why the Irish government has flatly refused to take the shorter cheaper route to the West of the Hill of Tara, along the old Navan Rail line. The value of that land will already have multiplied by a huge factor because it is earmarked for development.

At a standing-room-only public lecture at Trinity College, Dublin, on Tuesday 11 March, Fred Harrison, a leading world economist and the author of several books, including Wheels of Fortune, Power in the Land, Boom Bust, and Ricardo's Law, suggested that people be brought back into the cities, –"Building up is the way of the future," he said, "I fear for Ireland's future. Time is not on Ireland's side."

Time may not be on Ireland's side, but those of us who truly love our heritage, will do our best to prevent the "ruthless desecration" of our heritage!

Maireid Sullivan
Melbourne, Australia
Anam Cara for Tara arts action campaign
an initiative of the GlobalArtsCollective.org

[shiny]

Please sign the petition linked to below, and forward it to anyone you think of, who can help............................





http://www.ipetition...tara/index.html



      

[Bettina]

Straight through the heart

The extent of of the road work in the Tara Valley

http://www.eurolink-m3.ie/video.html

[Bettina]

Maggie Ronayne from the Department of Archaeology, National University of Ireland, Galway has written an article "The State We’re in on the Eve of World Archaeological Congress (WAC) 6: Archaeology in Ireland vs Corporate Takeover " (PDF).
And - it says it all.