Wolfie
Is a lunp
http://www.hilloftara.info - http://www.hilloftara.blogspot.com
SAVE THE HILL OF TARA FROM THE M3 MOTORWAY
A High Court action has been taken to alter the pathway of the proposed M3 motorway, which breaches the archaeological complex. Irish citizen, Vincent Salafia, is suing the Minister for the Environment, Meath County Council, the Attorney General and the National Roads Authority. Recognised experts of Tara, Conor Newman and Edel Bhreatnach testified that the current route being excavated will entail the demolition of over 10 archaeological monuments in the valley between the hills of Tara and Skryne, at least two of which are national monuments in their own right, and that the motorway is damaging the national monument. Judgment is March 1, 2006. An appeal to the Supreme Court is anticipated by both parties. For more information see: http://www.hilloftara.blogspot.com and http://www.hilloftara.info
There are a number of ways you can help NOW:
1. SIGN PETITION
Join hundreds of academics and thousands of people wordwide who are petitioning the Taoiseach of the Irish Government to stop the current archaeological excavations and reroute the M3 motorway away from the Hill of Tara archaeological complex, Ireland's premier national monument. Please sign the online petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/petition.html
2. WRITE A LETTER
Write to to your local and national representatives, and to:
- Mr Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach, Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2. Ireland. taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
- Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, Department of the Envioronment, Heritage and Local Government, Customs House, Dublin 1. Ireland. minister@environ.ie
- Sean Haughey, TD. Chariman, Environment Committee, D?il ?ireann, Dublin 1. Ireland. Sean_haughey@oireachtas.irlgov.ie
- Letters to the Editor, The Irish Times, 10-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2. lettersed@irish-times.ie
3. DONATE
TaraWatch is an Irish charity collecting donations for the Tara legal defence fund. With three separate legal teams as Respondents the expenses are enormous. You can make a direct deposit to TaraWatch, Bank of Ireland, Westland Row, Dublin 1. Account number: 25673842
Sort Code 901378 or mail a cheque or money order payable to TaraWatch, 7 Kenilworth Square, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Ireland.
4. DISPLAY SAVE TARA LOGO/LINK
Please display the Save Tara logo, available at http://www.hilloftara.blogspot.com, to your personal and company web sites. You can have the logo link to the above address or http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/petition.html
5. EVENTS
Please attend and/or organise events supporting the campaign and lawsuit. The next fundraising event will be a benefit dinner and auction being held on March 24th in Drimnagh Castle, Dublin. Contact Chris Murray at TarawWatch for details. For information on other events, sign up to the email list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taralitigation/
6. SIGNUP FOR UPDATES
The Tara story is receiving substantial media attention both nationally and world wide. You can register to receive emails of news articles, events and other campaign related information at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taralitigation/
7. FORWARD THIS MAIL
Please forward this mail to anyone who you think would welcome the opportunity to assist.
CONTACT
Chris Murray, TaraWatch, 7 Kenilworth Square, Rathmines, Dublin 6: +353-87-776-5289 dotliath@gmail.com
Vincent Salafia +353-87-132-3365 salafia@gmail.com
=======
Here is a recent story from the Telegraph newspaper in the UK:
Seat of Celtic kings is threatened by motorway
By Tom Peterkin, Ireland Correspondent - Telegraph
(Filed: 13/01/2006)
(map vailable at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...ra13.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/13/ixworld.html)
A plan to build a motorway beside the hill where ancient Celtic kings were crowned has been challenged in court as campaigners fight to save a monument described by W B Yeats as the "most consecrated spot in Ireland".
The Irish government's proposal to build a new commuter route for Dublin through the valley containing the Hill of Tara has infuriated archaeologists, historians and conservationists.
The battle, which has been depicted as a conflict between Ireland's mystical past and the materialistic modern nation of the Celtic Tiger, yesterday came to the High Court in Dublin.
The hearing, which is scheduled to last for five days, is the culmination of a two-year campaign to stop the 30-mile M3 motorway passing less than a mile from the coronation site of around 100 Irish High Kings in Co Meath.
Dublin's decision to press ahead with the road was challenged by Vincent Salafia, an environmentalist, who has argued that Dick Roche, the environment minister, should not have granted the motorway permission.
Gerry Hogan, senior counsel for Mr Salafia, claimed the legislation used to push through the project was unconstitutional.
He said the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 weakened the role of the Oireachtas (Ireland's national parliament) by giving the minister discretionary powers to determine the fate of the country's heritage. Mr Hogan claimed the state's duty to protect monuments had been "seriously compromised".
Under the terms of the Act, Mr Roche is able to decide whether to preserve a site on the basis of the public interest as well as archaeological considerations.
According to Pat Wallace, the director of the National Museum of Ireland, the Hill of Tara is one Ireland's most important treasures.
Mr Hogan told the court that 38 archaeological sites had been identified along the M3's route.
Tara's importance as a religious centre dates from around 4,000 BC. The oldest visible man-made feature is the Mound of the Hostages, which dates from the third millennium BC.
It is associated with Cormac Mac Art, the legendary Irish High King. Tara became a pagan spiritual and political centre in the third century AD. It has remained a potent symbol of Ireland's nationhood.
During the rebellion of 1798 the United Irishmen camped on the hill, but were attacked and defeated by British troops.
In 1843, Daniel O'Connell, the Irish MP, hosted a peaceful Home Rule political demonstration at Tara that is reputed to have attracted one million supporters.
The application for judicial review is being heard before Mr Justice Thomas Smyth. The environment minister, Meath county council, the National Roads Authority and the attorney-general dispute Mr Hogan's assertion that a wider zone around the hill should be considered part of the existing national monument.
The hearing continues.
SAVE THE HILL OF TARA FROM THE M3 MOTORWAY
A High Court action has been taken to alter the pathway of the proposed M3 motorway, which breaches the archaeological complex. Irish citizen, Vincent Salafia, is suing the Minister for the Environment, Meath County Council, the Attorney General and the National Roads Authority. Recognised experts of Tara, Conor Newman and Edel Bhreatnach testified that the current route being excavated will entail the demolition of over 10 archaeological monuments in the valley between the hills of Tara and Skryne, at least two of which are national monuments in their own right, and that the motorway is damaging the national monument. Judgment is March 1, 2006. An appeal to the Supreme Court is anticipated by both parties. For more information see: http://www.hilloftara.blogspot.com and http://www.hilloftara.info
There are a number of ways you can help NOW:
1. SIGN PETITION
Join hundreds of academics and thousands of people wordwide who are petitioning the Taoiseach of the Irish Government to stop the current archaeological excavations and reroute the M3 motorway away from the Hill of Tara archaeological complex, Ireland's premier national monument. Please sign the online petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/petition.html
2. WRITE A LETTER
Write to to your local and national representatives, and to:
- Mr Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach, Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2. Ireland. taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
- Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, Department of the Envioronment, Heritage and Local Government, Customs House, Dublin 1. Ireland. minister@environ.ie
- Sean Haughey, TD. Chariman, Environment Committee, D?il ?ireann, Dublin 1. Ireland. Sean_haughey@oireachtas.irlgov.ie
- Letters to the Editor, The Irish Times, 10-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2. lettersed@irish-times.ie
3. DONATE
TaraWatch is an Irish charity collecting donations for the Tara legal defence fund. With three separate legal teams as Respondents the expenses are enormous. You can make a direct deposit to TaraWatch, Bank of Ireland, Westland Row, Dublin 1. Account number: 25673842
Sort Code 901378 or mail a cheque or money order payable to TaraWatch, 7 Kenilworth Square, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Ireland.
4. DISPLAY SAVE TARA LOGO/LINK
Please display the Save Tara logo, available at http://www.hilloftara.blogspot.com, to your personal and company web sites. You can have the logo link to the above address or http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/petition.html
5. EVENTS
Please attend and/or organise events supporting the campaign and lawsuit. The next fundraising event will be a benefit dinner and auction being held on March 24th in Drimnagh Castle, Dublin. Contact Chris Murray at TarawWatch for details. For information on other events, sign up to the email list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taralitigation/
6. SIGNUP FOR UPDATES
The Tara story is receiving substantial media attention both nationally and world wide. You can register to receive emails of news articles, events and other campaign related information at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taralitigation/
7. FORWARD THIS MAIL
Please forward this mail to anyone who you think would welcome the opportunity to assist.
CONTACT
Chris Murray, TaraWatch, 7 Kenilworth Square, Rathmines, Dublin 6: +353-87-776-5289 dotliath@gmail.com
Vincent Salafia +353-87-132-3365 salafia@gmail.com
=======
Here is a recent story from the Telegraph newspaper in the UK:
Seat of Celtic kings is threatened by motorway
By Tom Peterkin, Ireland Correspondent - Telegraph
(Filed: 13/01/2006)
(map vailable at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...ra13.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/13/ixworld.html)
A plan to build a motorway beside the hill where ancient Celtic kings were crowned has been challenged in court as campaigners fight to save a monument described by W B Yeats as the "most consecrated spot in Ireland".
The Irish government's proposal to build a new commuter route for Dublin through the valley containing the Hill of Tara has infuriated archaeologists, historians and conservationists.
The battle, which has been depicted as a conflict between Ireland's mystical past and the materialistic modern nation of the Celtic Tiger, yesterday came to the High Court in Dublin.
The hearing, which is scheduled to last for five days, is the culmination of a two-year campaign to stop the 30-mile M3 motorway passing less than a mile from the coronation site of around 100 Irish High Kings in Co Meath.
Dublin's decision to press ahead with the road was challenged by Vincent Salafia, an environmentalist, who has argued that Dick Roche, the environment minister, should not have granted the motorway permission.
Gerry Hogan, senior counsel for Mr Salafia, claimed the legislation used to push through the project was unconstitutional.
He said the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 weakened the role of the Oireachtas (Ireland's national parliament) by giving the minister discretionary powers to determine the fate of the country's heritage. Mr Hogan claimed the state's duty to protect monuments had been "seriously compromised".
Under the terms of the Act, Mr Roche is able to decide whether to preserve a site on the basis of the public interest as well as archaeological considerations.
According to Pat Wallace, the director of the National Museum of Ireland, the Hill of Tara is one Ireland's most important treasures.
Mr Hogan told the court that 38 archaeological sites had been identified along the M3's route.
Tara's importance as a religious centre dates from around 4,000 BC. The oldest visible man-made feature is the Mound of the Hostages, which dates from the third millennium BC.
It is associated with Cormac Mac Art, the legendary Irish High King. Tara became a pagan spiritual and political centre in the third century AD. It has remained a potent symbol of Ireland's nationhood.
During the rebellion of 1798 the United Irishmen camped on the hill, but were attacked and defeated by British troops.
In 1843, Daniel O'Connell, the Irish MP, hosted a peaceful Home Rule political demonstration at Tara that is reputed to have attracted one million supporters.
The application for judicial review is being heard before Mr Justice Thomas Smyth. The environment minister, Meath county council, the National Roads Authority and the attorney-general dispute Mr Hogan's assertion that a wider zone around the hill should be considered part of the existing national monument.
The hearing continues.
