Who Loves Tara? - We Do!

international | history and heritage | news report

Sunday July 22, 2007 12:51

by Seán Ryan

Great turnout at the Love Tara March. Around a thousand from all over the country march and make their voices heard.

Environmental Impact Assesment for the whole M3 project unlawful.

Gormley chastised by Sinnott as he has failed to make the file on Tara public, thereby giving the NRA the excuse of ignorance with regard to the illegality of the project.

The weather stayed fine on Saturday the 21st of July as hundreds took to the Streets of Dublin to protest the desecration of one of the world’s oldest and dearest places of worship and heritage. Tara. Good people travelled from all over the country in an act of solidarity and outrage in what was one of this year’s largest protests at the capital.

The protest began at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square. One would have been forgiven for thinking that there had been a poor turnout as one approached the Garden, as hundreds had congregated in the Garden itself and were hidden from the view of those approaching.

The Garda presence was neither massive nor oppressive. Many accepted leaflets, engaged in conversation with their fellow Irish men and women and their mood was relaxed as evidenced by greetings offered and ready smiles. Gardaí in Rossport etc. take notice, this is how policing should be done.

The mood of the marchers was defiant yet exuberant. A carnival-like atmosphere was present. There were costumes, faces painted like the Celts did before battle (Woad), and flags from practically every county in Ireland. The colours alone were more than enough to capture the eye and breath of anyone in close proximity to the crowd rapidly swelling at the Remembrance Garden.

After some short and to the point work from Vincent Salafia on the microphone at the Garden the protesters began to make their way out onto the road. It was at this point that one began to have an appreciation of the turnout. The front of the march had made its way down to the Parnell Monument on O’Connell St. before the marchers had finished pouring out of the Garden of Remembrance. I’d estimate that somewhere between nine hundred and a thousand took part in this part of the protest. Cars honked and people cheered as the procession made its way to the Custom’s House. Folks were leafleted and petitions signed. The colourful crowd chanted slogans, hailed onlookers and informed Dublin in general of the Tara Four, who’ve been unjustly jailed for daring to love their heritage.

At the Custom’s House, speeches were given to a reactional and emotive audience. A letter addressed to John Gormley, leader of the turncoat Green Party, from Kathy Sinnott MEP, was read out. He has been officially called upon to make public the entire file on Tara. Gormley is castigated by Sinnott as she points out to him that the entire Environmental Impact Assessment for the M3 project is no longer valid and therefore unlawful and that the government has been put on notice of this fact by the European Commission. Sinnott goes on to say, that had the file been opened sooner as had been promised, that the citizens of Ireland would have been aware that the Government will be in Court this Autumn over the illegality of the M3 project and that the NRA would have been unable to claim ignorance of the illegality of the project as they are currently doing.