Tara Solidarity Vigil - Flame Procession

by Justin Morahan - Peace People Thu Aug 03, 2006 20:31

Here are a few interesting excerpts from the Seanad Debate on the 1929 Bill to preserve national monuments. Colonel Moore's contribution is specifically about Tara

Miss Browne: No matter how great our enthusiasm or how hard our work, we had to look on at many of our ancient monuments being destroyed before our eyes. We were powerless to prevent their destruction.
Within the past year a ruin, an interesting old castle, near Dungarvan, County Waterford, was blown up by dynamite or some other explosive.
About five years ago an Ogham stone was discovered in good condition on the Great Saltee Island, about five miles off the coast of Wexford. It was removed about two years ago without the knowledge of the owner, and nobody knows where it is. Such occurrences will be impossible in future.

Sir Thomas Esmonde: Our national monuments have suffered through very great neglect, and I am sorry to say, , that our national monuments have been very gratuitously and very grievously damaged time after time. It may be that public ignorance has to some extent been responsible for this damage, but, unquestionably, cupidity and pecuniary benefit have been largely responsible for such damage. Once the Bill passes, such proceedings will be at an end.

Mr. Linehan: I rise to support the Bill. I have before me a map of a very small district consisting of four or five parishes in the locality between Mallow and Cork. There are marked on it one Ogham stone, four stone circles, five cromlechs, a ruined abbey and two large forts, in addition to other interesting objects. I understand that the stone circle and the dolmen mark the burial place of persons who were distinguished in ancient times. I do not know what the exact age of the stones would be, but they are probably a survival of the period corresponding to that of Tutankamen in Egypt. These circles have been carefully preserved by the occupiers on the lands on which they stand. Although the occupiers were often short of stones for use on the land I know no instance in which stones have been removed from these circles.

Mr. O'Connor: I also am pleased to see this Bill brought forward by the Government. It will be very popular with people who are interested in having our ancient monuments preserved. Such monuments have to a great extent been hopelessly neglected. Such monuments are, in a way, history in themselves.

Colonel Moore: I would like to call attention, as showing the necessity for this Bill, to the fact that a few years ago a farmer who happened to be in possession, for the time being, of the Hill of Tara, got it into his head that the Ark of the Covenant was to be discovered there. There was a long story about it, and some people came over from England and proceeded to dig up the whole place. Of course, those who were interested in the matter were very indignant, and I remember that there was a good deal of talk about it at the time. I remember that the late Arthur Griffith was very upset about it, and he and my brother went up there with a few others. There was a skirmish with this gentleman as to whether he should be allowed to dig up the place or not. Ignorant people who do things like that have got to be stopped somehow.

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/S/0013/S.0013.192911200007.html

by secular Tue Aug 01, 2006 15:19

The pyramids were built on slavery and religious fervour, would you build a motorway through them?

by Vigil anti Tue Aug 01, 2006 14:33

Tara wasn't so special if you were a hostage?

Most high kings would have given up a province to build a 4-lane highway for their chariots from Tara to the coast.

Thousands of people in Meath need this road. All Irish landscape has some human input, even the bogs. Why is the Tara landscape so special? Because our home-grown control freaks got drunk there once a year?