Tara & the M3
meath |
miscellaneous |
opinion/analysis
Tuesday August 16, 2005 01:03
by spokesman - Tara SOS
Do the Gael have any recourse in the legal systems of the 'Ireland Inc'?
In the Supreme Court on the 21st December 1972, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh delivered judgment on the legality of the compulsory purchase by the State of a site below the four hundred feet contour lines on Tara. In the judgement, he stated: 'the Hill of Tara is properly to be regarded as a single unified site and not a series of separate archaeological monuments.'
Tara's Layers
A Chara,
In the Supreme Court on the 21st December 1972, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh delivered judgment on the legality of the compulsory purchase by the State of a site below the four hundred feet contour lines on Tara. In the judgement, he stated: 'the Hill of Tara is properly to be regarded as a single unified site and not a series of separate archaeological monuments.'
During proceedings, Professor Ruaidhrí de Valera had described Tara as 'the focus of Celtic times', and added that 'one would expect important findings on almost any part of the Hill of Tara, and from the historical accounts of it, it seemed very likely that traces of previous occupational use would be found in most if not all parts of the hill.'
The defendants in the case, the Commissioners for Public Works in Ireland had stated: 'Tara was a complex but unified site and not merely a site of royal settlement but probably an extension of the grave system more extensively investigated on the Boyne. The burden of the evidence showed the importance of the whole site, with the Hill of Tara which could not be chopped up.'
In judgement, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh stated: ' The expression 'national monument' means a monument or the remains of a monument the preservation of which is a matter of national importance by reason of the historical, architectural, traditional, artistic, or archaeological interest'. 'A monument, among other things, is anything that by its survival commemorates a person, action or event.'
Continuing, he stated: 'The word 'monument' is not defined in the strict
sense: it is stated that it 'includes' certain things. It does not have to be of archaeological interest; historical or traditional interest will suffice.' In closing Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh asked: 'Why, then, could a place or hill , not of itself satisfy the definition of monument?'
This Supreme Court judgement and the testimony of Professor de Valera have a direct relevance to any prospective legal challenges. It suggests that the proposed route of the M3 would fail a judicial review. An alternative route, 2.5km shorter and 5km away to the west of Tara is available. This alternative solution should be pursued now to ensure the immediate delivery of the M3.
Like many others in Meath that would use a new M3, I see this as the best way forward - preservation and progress are not mutually exclusive.
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Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7muireanntemair writes "The people of Ireland responded to the invitation to visit Tara on Monday 15th August and groups such as Shelltosea and The Rolestown St. Margaret’s Action Group and Residents against Radiation and those objecting to the Kilsaran Quarry joined the Save TaraSkryne Group in a show of solidarity at Tara. People gathered from 3 pm and brought picnics and discussed the various issues that concerned them.
They were joined by Ciaran Cuffe of the Green Party and Senator David Norris addressed the gathering. There were aerial photographs taken of the crowd as they stood in a circle on Tara. Photographs were also taken of the archaeological sites along the route. Local people, farmers were present along with those who travelled from as far afield as Galway, Armagh and Cork.
The crowd was also addressed by Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin, Julitta Clancy of the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society and by representatives of the other groups present.
David Norris said: “I praise the valiant people who are bravely fighting for these causes all over Ireland. Tara is the heart of Ireland. When you look at this marvellous view it is criminal to even consider building a motorway in the Valley.”
Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin, PRO for the Save the TaraSkryne Valley Group said:
“This date has been chosen as it was the occasion of a Monster Meeting held by Daniel O’Connell in 1843. It was attended by an historic 750,000 thousand people. Then they were united in a call for Repeal. We call for the repeal of the Amendment to the National Monuments Act 2004 that drives a coach and four through our past and our history. Tara epitomises what it is to be Irish.”
The crowd were reminded that the place names and the related stories, the history and literature show the importance of Tara, the Gabhra Valley and Achall (Skryne). This landscape is alive with tales of the Fianna, the god Lug, Cú Chulainn and the kings such as Cormac mac Airt.
An aerial shot was taken of the crowd on the Hill at 7pm and people were shown the maps and photographs of sites being excavated and of the stories associated with Tara.
The NRA has concentrated on the archaeology. The importance of Tara, Skryne and the Gabhra Valley lies also in the history and the literature where Tara is undoubtedly the centre of all sources from the beginning of writing in Ireland.
This type of development will ruin the valley..
The future of the Tara valley?
People approaching the top of Tara Hill.
Crowd walking to the Top of Tara's Hill
The really important part of that judgement is the section that says: "a monument or the remains of a monument the preservation of which is a matter of national importance by reason of the historical, architectural, traditional, artistic, or archaeological interest'. 'A monument, among other things, is anything that by its survival commemorates a person, action or event.'"
This means that the Valley itself is a monument as it does commemorates people, actions and events associated with the legendary deaths of the Fianna. This is tradition - they died in the Valley. The final battle of the Fianna against the king of Ireland at the time happened in the Gabhra Valley and the story is called the Battle of Gabhra. Indeed the river Gabhra is right beside one of the archaeological sites that they are digging at the moment. Meath County Council have recently erected a sign to this effect. God knows why at this stage!
Gabhair River and dig beside it
Letter from Meath Chronicle
Dear sir - First the Tara brooch-shaped building for Trim and now an anxiety to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. Noel Dempsey is suddenly aware of our heritage. I wonder how those brave men and women would react to his recent decisions?
We know how Arthur Griffith would react. The minister declared himself a lover of Tara and a history graduate during his speech to the Dáil on November 23rd 2004. It must have come as quite a shock to him that most renowned Irish historians in the world do not agree with his decision to try to forge a twice-tolled motorway through Tara’s “surrounds” (the Gabhra Valley).
He said during his speech: “Like everyone else in the House, my location and family place is a central point of reference in my life, in my mental map and my sense of heritage.
The fact that I am a history graduate adds to my fascination with history, heritage and the past.
“Ireland, indeed Europe, has few sites as significant historically as Tara.
It is part of our ethos, our memory and our archaeological wealth. It is part of what makes us Irish. Some may think that is over the top, but I do not.
“I would never and could never do anything or support a
policy that would be to the detriment of Tara or its surrounds. I venture to say that no one from County Meath would do so. No one is more committed to guarding our heritage and our history. I speak not just for myself but for Meath people generally. I believe it is our collective duty to protect our heritage and our history in a way that serves the needs of our citizens in the present and into the future.”
Replying to Deputy Eamon Gilmore he stated: “The truth hurts. The road would not be there only I started it.”
Deputy Gilmore: “The truth hurts. Is the minister taking credit for it?” Minister Dempsey: “I am, yes.”
Refreshingly honest of him to admit that he will go down in history as the minister responsible for the destruction of the site that he considers “part of what makes us Irish”. How “Irish” can he get?
When Lord Deputy Mountjoy marched into O Néill land in 1602 after the defeat at Kinsale, he destroyed their inauguration chair. What have the people of Ireland done to deserve this destruction?
Minister Dempsey is certainly living up to his surname. Ó Díomsaigh from díomas (pride, arrogance, contempt).
Yours sincerely,
DR MUIREANN NÍ BHROLCHÁIN
(lecturer in Celtic studies)
PRO Save Tara Skryne Valley Group,
58 Laurence Avenue,
Maynooth,
Article from Meath Chronicle Sat Aug 20th 2005
The Save the Tara Skryne Valley Group organised a protest at the Hill of Tara on Monday, the same date Daniel O’Connell held a monster meeting there in 1843.Tara protest recalls 1843 meeting by O’Connell .
ACADEMICS at home and abroad who have an interest in the controversy over the route of the proposed M3 through the Tara-Skryne Valley area can take a virtual tour to show that it will have a minimal impact on Tara.
The virtual tour is on a DVD, which is part of an elaborate information pack aimed at ‘the many people in Ireland, and abroad, with an academic interest in the National Road Authority’s (NRA) archaeological work’.
The NRA’s senior archaeologist Daire O’Rourke prepared the pack. The information pack was compiled with the advice of Dr Michael Ryan, former president of the Royal Irish Academy.
Dr Ryan, director of the Chester Beatty Library and former keeper of Irish Antiquities at the National Museum said he had read most of the documentation prepared for the pack and made some comments on it.
Dr Ryan believes that alternative routes for the motorway should have been explored. However, he believes that the NRA’s archaeologists “want to do things right and they should be encouraged to do that”. He denied that the information pack was propaganda.
To date, 300 academics have signed a protest letter against the motorway route. Archaeologist Muireann ni Bhrolchain, spokeswoman for the Save the Tara Skryne Valley campaign, has dismissed the information pack as “propaganda”.
The information pack states that a more westerly route was not selected because it would ‘lie in full view’ of the panorama from Tara encompassing the central plain of Ireland and pass close to several large archaeological sites such as Ringlestown Rath.
Another route East of the Hill of Skryne was also counted out as ‘a less viable option’ because of its impact on the communities there and remoteness relative to the existing N3. Meath County Council’s road engineers ruled it out.
The pack points out that the 60-kilometre route of the M3 was ‘walked by archaeologists’ when the environmental impact statement on the scheme was being prepared.
With the assistance of test trenching, a total of 156 sites had been identified along the route, of which 132 (approximately 85 per cent) were prehistoric, dating from 7000BC to AD400. Five sites were early medieval (400 to Ad1169), nine medieval and 11 post-medieval.
The pack states that ‘the most spectacular results to date are three large enclosure complexes revealed in plan by geophysical survey on the Dunshaughlin-Navan section’, which is the most contentious stretch of the proposed motorway.
The authors of the pack admit that the archaeological work carried out so far is ‘preliminary’ and that ‘many details remain unclear at this stage’.
‘Clearly, the M3 road scheme is not an archaeological research project,’ the in formation pack says. ‘The sites being investigated are not being chosen to answer particular research questions, nor are they a completely random sample.’
LARGE groups gathered on the Hill of Tara on Monday to protest at the routing of the proposed new M3 through the Tara-Skryne valley area.
Muireann Ni Bhrolchain, Julitta Clancy of the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society and representatives of some of the other groups present addressed the crowd.
Senator David Norris, who was also present, said he praised the valiant people who were bravely fighting for these causes all over Ireland. “Tara is the heart of Ireland. When you look at this marvellous view, it is criminal to even consider building a motorway in the valley,” he said.
Ms Ni Bhrolchain, PRO for the Save the Tara Skryne Valley Group, said the date of the gathering had been chosen as it was the occasion of a monster meeting Daniel O’Connell held in 1843.
“It was attended by an historic 750,000 people. Then they were united in a call for Repeal. We call for the repeal of the amendment to the national Monuments Act 2004 that drives a coach and four through our past and our history. Tara epitomises what it is to be Irish,” she said.
The crowd was reminded that the place names and the related stories, the literature and history showed the importance of Tara, the Gabhra valley, and Achall (Skryne). “This landscape is alive with the tales of the Fianna, the god Lug, Cu Chulainn and the kings such as Cormac Mac Airt.”
An aerial photograph was taken of the crowd on the hill at 7pm and people present were shown the maps and photographs of sites being excavated and of the stories associated with Tara.
“The National Roads Authority has concentrated on the archaeology. The importance of Tara, Skryne and the Gabhra Valley lies also in the history and the literature where Tara is undoubtedly the centre of all sources from the beginning of writing in Ireland,” Ms Ni Bhrolchain said.
1. Alignment chosen on Archaeological basis that it did not go through the Tara Zone, (now contrary to the evidence)
2. It is the only Section of the proposed M3 east of the N3 - See Map 1 overleaf
3. The Evidence is that the route west of the N3 was inadequately accesses. Local alignment variations and combinations thereof for all routes were examined except for the Orange route where only one alignment was examined - Extract of EIS Figure 12 is shown on Map 2 overleaf. The comparison or routes used is totally false because Orange is set up to fail, i.e. no local modifications considered for Orange while Blue 2 (which is shown on Fig. 12 Route E & D combined and then modified) had 15 local variations after it was first combined with another Blue Option
4. M3 Navan to Dunshaughlin chosen alignment Blue 2 is approximately 2.5 km longer than an Orange route west of the N3 (consequently the M3 cost and footprint are both over 5% more than they need be). Depending on the Orange alignment chosen an Orange could further reduce to be approximately 3.5 km shorted than Blue 2 - a horrendous difference
5. The 2.5 km shorter route would give the M3 Scheme a greater economic return of at least 10% (as economic benefits are measured in time savings)