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Ceneca
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« on: June 27, 2007, 12:25:45 am »

Ancient site on endangered list 


 

The road will be close to the ancient monument
The ancient Hill of Tara in Meath - once the seat of Ireland's high kings- has been named one of the world's 100 most endangered heritage sites.
The World Monument Fund has placed Tara on its "crisis list" following the go-ahead for the controversial M3 motorway through the site.

The project has been bitterly opposed by environmental campaigners.

They are opposed to the route because of its proximity to the historic sites of Tara and Skryne.

Last month, work on the motorway was halted after the discovery of a highly significant archaeological find.

The World Monument Fund, based in New York, has saved 420 historical sites across the world, including the ancient Buddhist temple of Preah Khan at Angkor, Cambodia, built in 1191.

Dr Muireann Ni Bhrolchain, of the Campaign to Save Tara, said the decision to list Tara would further pressure the Irish government to rethink the motorway.

"The government ignored the 2005 statement that was signed by 350 academics from all over the world," she said.

"Perhaps at this, the 11th hour, the government in waiting will listen to the concerns of the world about the status of Tara and re-route."

Vincent Salafia of campaign group TaraWatch said: "This really is an appeal to both the Irish government and people to protect our delicate, unique heritage, which is now confirmed to be under the gravest threat."
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6728805.stm
« Last Edit: June 27, 2007, 12:28:29 am by Ceneca » Report Spam   Logged

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Ceneca
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« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2007, 12:27:57 am »

Welcome to saveTara.com


The Official Website for:


The Campaign to Save Tara

Tara (Teamhair) in Co. Meath, Ireland, was the ancient inauguration site of the early Irish Kings. It is connected from earliest times across the Gabhra valley with its sister, the Hill of Skryne. It is through this same valley that the Irish Government now plans to build a motorway with a huge interchange at the foot of the Hill of Tara itself.

This Web Site is a resource for those who wish to find out about the campaign to re-route the motorway and to learn about the history, archaeology and literature associated with this area that is "one of the most important and famous archaeological complexes in the world".


http://www.savetara.com/
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Ceneca
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« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2007, 12:29:37 am »


Save The Hill of Tara, the National Monument of Ireland 


 

View Current Signatures   -   Sign the Petition

Emergency appeal for funds to get professional archaeological assessment of M3 motorway excavations done. Please visit TaraWatch or mail us at info@tarawatch.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


To:  Prime Minister of Ireland, Mr Bertie Ahern
Dear Taoiseach Ahern,

I object the planned routing of the M3 motorway through the Tara-Skryne valley, and the resulting despoilment this will cause to Ireland’s oldest and most revered national monument.

The archaeological importance of this area is beyond question. After seven years surveying the Hill of Tara and its 80km˛ hinterland as director of the government funded Discovery Programme, Conor Newman said: “Tara is one of the most important and famous archaeological complexes in the world.… all of our researches point to the valley between Tara and Skryne as an area of paramount importance throughout the history of Tara.”

More recently, 12 eminent Irish historians and archaeologists in letters to the Irish Independent and The Examiner wrote: “The Hill of Tara constitutes the heart and Soul of Ireland. Its very name invokes the spirit and mystique of our people and is instantly recognisable worldwide. The plan approved recently by An Bord Pleanála for the M3 motorway to dissect the Tara-Skryne valley, Ireland's premier national monument, spells out a massive national and international tragedy that must be averted.”

Can anyone doubt the profound cultural importance of Tara and its unique landscape? A landscape honoured and revered by millions throughout the world today and countless generations of Irish people gone before us.
Nowhere else in Ireland is there a landscape that can claim the Tuatha de Danann, Celtic Gods and Goddesses, St. Patrick, Daniel O’Connell, Thomas Moore, heroes and High Kings from Fionn MacCumhail to Brian Boru, an archaeological complex of temples, tombs, enclosures and henges spanning five millennia, and a continuous place at the centre of Irish spiritual, cultural, political and literary history, as part of it’s fabric.

Yet it is through the very heart of this landscape, that Meath County Council, the NRA and the Irish Government wish to build a motorway, which will impact at least 141 known sites. According to Dr Conor Newman, this is just “the tip of the iceberg”.

Roads, of course, are necessary to relieving the nightmare of traffic congestion. However, in the absence of any plans to improve the Navan Road/M50 roundabout, the M3 project will not relieve congestion, it will merely move it from one place to another; plugging the worst bottleneck between Navan and Dublin even tighter. Spending €680m on an ineffectual motorway that will ruin Tara forever, cannot be described as progress; rather it constitutes wanton vandalism on a grand scale.

The National Roads Authority has released an estimate of €20m to excavate the route of the M3. I believe this figure could be closer to €100m, since there are more than likely so many monuments yet to be discovered, due to a low-grade geophysical survey carried out during the EIS. I strongly object to this amount of Irish taxpayers money being used to dig up our prize national monument, and other national monuments all around the country, especially in light of the recent High Court finding that heritage protection regulations enacted by your Government are unconstitutional.

And so I am moved to ask you three questions:

1). The M3 plans include the construction of a 34 acre floodlit intersection (Blundelstown) a mere 1,090 meters from the Hill of Tara’s core zone (as defined by OPW); what has, or will, your Office do to preserve the national monument of Tara from this permanent defacement?

2). Why are the people of Ireland being asked to pay €1.3 billion (via toll charges and taxes) for a project estimated at €64, but which cannot demonstrably relieve congestion, will lead to more violations of the Kyoto agreement, and will damage our national heritage irretrievably?

3). What will your Office do to urge re-consideration of the currently approved route for the M3, and/or to engage in a process of generating alternative effective solutions to the very real problem of traffic congestion in the area, such as reopening the Dublin to Navan railroad?

I look forward to your reply, and in the meantime urge you, in your capacity as Taoiseach to oppose the imminent despoilment of Tara by the M3 motorway, and to do all you can in working for the reversal of this disastrous decision.



Sincerely,

The Undersigned


http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/

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Ceneca
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« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2007, 01:38:01 am »

Road to Ruin July 2, 2007 
by Laura Sexton 

An Iron Age ritual site near Tara is approved for demolition.



On June 14, 2007, construction resumed on a four-lane highway near the Hill of Tara in central Ireland. Traditionally the seat of the high kings of Ireland, the landscape is littered with burial mounds, rock art, earthen enclosures, and stone monuments. Tara, which has been described as Ireland's equivalent of Stonehenge, was named one of the 100 most endangered sites by the World Monuments Fund this year.

Given Tara's cultural significance and national monument status, it is not surprising that the Irish government met resistance when it announced plans for a 60 km road running straight through the Gabhra Valley between Tara and the nearby Hill of Skreen. Archaeologists and historians claimed that the entire valley, not just the hill, contains historical monuments and artifacts and should therefore be protected. In its defense, the National Roads Association (NRA) argued that a new road was necessary because the existing N3 highway is deteriorating, thereby making travel dangerous and inefficient for drivers between Dublin and Navan. A deal was signed with Eurolink, an independent contractor, and construction began in Spring 2006.

The M3 proposal was heavily criticized, especially after the recent discovery of Lismullin, a ceremonial enclosure located on the edge of the valley, just 2 km (1.24 mi) away from Tara. It is thought to be from the Early Iron Age, which would make it at least 2,000 years old. The site consists of an outer enclosure 80 m in diameter and an inner enclosure 16 m in diameter. Both are bounded by two rings of stakeholes, suggesting that they were initially made from timber. It has been argued that the presence of a ritual site in the Gabhra Valley confirms earlier claims that Tara is a complex of historical monuments, and not only an isolated hill.

After the discovery of Lismullin, all works near the site were put on hold. Section 14 of the National Monuments Act of 2004 requires that road development stop when a historically significant monument is discovered in its path. The road authority must also report the find to the minister for the environment, who is in charge of providing directions to secure its preservation. In the case of Lismullin, Minister Dick Roche ordered that the site be preserved "by record." In other words, archaeologists record their findings as they excavate, and then the site is demolished to make room for the new highway.

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« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2007, 01:39:42 am »



Map showing Lismullin and Tara in relation to the new M3 highway (red) and existing N3 road (green) (Courtesy Tarawatch)
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« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2007, 01:41:14 am »



Left to right: Plan showing major features of the Lismullin site (Courtesy NRA); aerial view of recently discovered Lismullin site (under blue tarp) and early highway construction (Courtesy Tarawatch); and the Lismullin site under a plowed field prior to investigation (Courtesy NRA). The darker green vegetation in the center of the photo suggests the presence of an archaeological site.
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« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2007, 01:42:21 am »

« Last Edit: July 03, 2007, 01:43:59 am by Ceneca » Report Spam   Logged
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« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2007, 01:45:56 am »

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« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2007, 01:46:56 am »

Several concerns were raised in response to Roche's plan of action. First, many questioned the validity of the NRA's refusal to protect the entire Tara complex, including Lismullin. Prior to construction, the NRA conducted surveys to determine the best highway route from an archaeological point of view. The surveys revealed 38 sites on the chosen route, none of which they said were culturally or historically significant (click here for map). The NRA still says on its M3 motorway website that, "An unprecedented level of archaeological study and investigation has been carried out as part of the planning process and is continuing prior to construction. It is, therefore, unlikely that any major archaeological site would be uncovered during the construction stage." The M3 was chosen and given the go-ahead largely because of the NRA's claim that the route would not disrupt culturally significant areas.

Although the NRA insists on the quality and rigor of its initial surveys, the discovery of Lismullin exposes the shortcomings of that work. Irish politician Olivia Mitchell notes that Lismullin, "isn't a small [fortification] or a single standing stone, it's the size of three football fields." Indeed, if preliminary surveys missed a site as large and significant as Lismullin, then there is a very real possibility that road developers will unexpectedly run into other historically significant sites as the project continues.

So what's the harm with discovering new sites along the way? After all, only a few sites have ever been excavated in the area. The NRA therefore argues that road construction is a positive development that spurred archaeological research which may not have otherwise occurred. Ronan Swan, the acting head archaeologist at the NRA, states, "The intense archaeological work being done along this route would not have been done. ...Without the road going through, you wouldn't have had this high level of excavation taking place."

However, archaeologists and activists are not so optimistic. According to Vincent Salafia of Tarawatch, an organization committed to protecting Tara Hill, one problem is that severe time constraints make it highly unlikely that the site will be recorded properly. John Waddell, head of the archaeology department at the National University of Ireland, Galway, worries about the use of 22-ton mechanical diggers. (Click here for the university's Tara website.) Although they provide quick access to lower layers of soil, removing upper layers believed to contain few remains, mechanical diggers are likely to destroy delicate artifacts close to the surface. Save Tara, another preservation group, echoed this concern, and requested an independent assessment of the damage caused by mechanical diggers at Lismullin. In general, archaeologists are upset with Roche's decision because they fear that the information will not be documented as thoroughly as it would be in an independent research project. Anthropologist Ronald Hicks of Ball State University warns, "Archaeology is by its very nature highly destructive. And any data not recovered in the process are lost forever." (Hicks's full statement is online here.)

Aside from attacking the archaeology, many argue that the M3 is simply unnecessary given the availability of more reasonable alternatives. The Save Tara organization, along with Ciaran Cuffe, environmental spokesperson of the Green Party, would both prefer to reinstate the Navan-Clonsilla railway, which would provide a link between Navan and Dublin. Rather than building the M3 to bypass newly populated towns, they suggest reducing congestion through improvements in public transportation. The rail line was closed in 1963, but could be restored in a five-year period.

Salafia is convinced that there is a more practical solution to the problem. Since the contract to build the M3 has already been signed, he argues that moving the highway is more feasible than abandoning it altogether. Salafia recommends a route farther west than the planned M3 course. A western road would avoid major archaeological sites, provided it is placed outside of Ringlestown Rath, which delimits the Tara complex on the west. The NRA warns that a western route would "visually obstruct" the panoramic view from atop the Hill of Tara, but Salafia maintains that the road could be hidden given the topographical features of the area.

Accusations that the NRA implemented flawed archaeology and overlooked reasonable alternatives made many uneasy about Roche's decision to demolish the site after it had been documented. Interestingly, after all of the controversy surrounding his decision, Roche will not have the final word on the issue. John Gormley of the preservation-conscious Green Party recently took office as Roche's successor. He began serving on June 15, just one day after Roche's decision. According to Section 22 of the Interpretation Act of 2005, the Minister for the Environment can amend or overturn previous decisions. Gormley therefore has the power to reverse Roche's controversial decision.

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« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2007, 01:47:46 am »

Curiously, Gormley does not seem terribly eager to do so. He initially stated, "I will be looking at the documentation in the coming days, but I think it is fair to say that I cannot really do anything about our previous minister's decisions." Later--perhaps after the Interpretation Act was brought to his attention--he stated that, "based on the advice received, the decision cannot be reversed." According to Salafia, the Green Party has begun to accept their minister's reluctance to reroute the M3. Salafia himself admits that political action from Gormley is unlikely.

Many speculate that both ministers are tied down by political negotiations. At the end of the general election in May, the reigning party, Fianna Fail, lost seven parliament seats, six of which went to the Green Party. The two sides subsequently entered into negotiations, ultimately deciding that Fianna Fail would stay in power, provided they granted certain concessions to the Green Party. Other Green issues, such as pollution and global warming, were apparently pushed at the expense of protecting Tara. It may therefore be the case that Gormley cannot reverse the decision without violating the contract between the two parties.

To ensure a constitutional decision, Tarawatch will continue to protest, and even take legal action if necessary. In court, Salafia would attack Roche on grounds that he did not follow legal procedure correctly. He states, "The decision that was made by the minister is a decision that is very specifically prescribed in the National Monuments Act itself. ...It's all clearly mapped out for him. A judicial review is not a review of the substance of the decision--say, whether it's a good or bad decision--but a review of the procedure." Salafia hopes to show that a proper ruling under Irish law would entail the preservation of the entire Tara complex.

There are eight weeks left to protest, at which point legal action must be taken, or else the opportunity will expire under Ireland's statute of limitations. In this eight-week period, Salafia says that Tarawatch will do everything it can to pressure Gormley into making a decision. "We don't want to go to court. We want the minister to make the decision himself," he says, "But if push comes to shove and we have to go to court, then we will obviously change gears and put most of our energy into that arena." The fate of Tara, a monument more than 2,000 years old, may come down to a mere matter of weeks.

Laura Sexton is an undergraduate majoring in History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine at the University of Chicago.


© 2007 by the Archaeological Institute of America
www.archaeology.org/online/features/tara

http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/tara/
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« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2007, 01:49:00 am »



Protestors march in Navan, Ireland to show their support for the Tara preservation movement. (Courtesy Tarawatch)
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« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2007, 09:00:54 pm »

Hi Ceneca

I just can't believe it... this is one of the most historic and sacred sites on earth... I'll be damned -- can't they just route the freaking highway around it... It seems that the destruction of what remains of the ancient world is excellerating at an alarming rate.
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« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2007, 10:44:34 pm »

This is absolutely unbelievable, and it's happening all over the world. They are running freeways through sacred sites and precious archeological ruins, and if its not a freeway, they are flooding those sites out when they install dams. They are bulldozing and plowing under ancient mounds, and erecting bloody strip malls on sites that were ancient holy places. It's all so sad.
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« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2007, 05:11:47 am »

Thanks for reading it, KTCat & Unknown,

I frankly don't understand it either.  I can only conclude that places like England and Europe feel that they have comparatively small areas and yet feel like they need the "space." 

They don't know what they have, and once it's gone, it's gone for good. 
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« Reply #14 on: August 22, 2007, 01:52:09 am »

Last Updated: 21/08/2007  15:59
Tara ruins must be preserved - report

Newly discovered 2000-year-old ruins at the Hill of Tara must be fully preserved because of their unique size and character, a US academic today said.

State archaeologists began excavation work on the prehistoric Lismullen structure earlier this month, claiming it was under threat from adverse weather.

Dr Ronald Hicks of Ball State University, Indiana, argues it is part of a larger ancient ritual complex and must be preserved in situ. He contends Lismullen is comparable to ceremonial enclosures found at Tara and other royal sites in Ireland, but is twice as large as any other.

Dr Hicks previously endorsed the nomination of Tara to the World Monuments Fund List and issued an earlier report about the area's archaeological significance.

Controversy has surrounded the Lismullen site since the ruins were uncovered by workers during construction work on the controversial M3 motorway last April.

TaraWatch, which is demanding the site be preserved, has called on the Government to halt excavation until An Bord Pleanála rules if a fresh planning application for the road project is needed in light of the find.

The site's discovery came just a day after the-then transport minister Martin Cullen turned the sod on the €850 million road project. The discovery was granted National Monument status, and all works were halted at the site.

In one of his final acts of office, former environment minister Dick Roche signed an order of preservation by record, meaning the prehistoric henge would be photographed, sketched and measured before being levelled to make way for the motorway.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley maintains he does not have the authority to revoke his predecessor's decision without a material change in circumstance.

© 2007 ireland.com


http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0821/breaking46.htm
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