DECEMBER 2007
TARAWATCH.org
| YES IT IS COMING - TO SPAGHETTI HELL ON TARA Tara's Spaghetti Hell Massive junction to be erected less than 1km from world heritage site By - Tom Prendeville. THE Tara motorway protesters haven't seen the half of it yet. A massive spaghetti style-junction - covering an area 10 times the size of Croke Park - is set to be built less than 1km from the Hill of Tara. The 52 acre interchange, which will be one of the world's largest for a road of the M3's size, will be visible from outer-space. The interchange will consist of two giant orbital roundabouts, flyovers, four slip roads and numerous other additional roadways. Located at Blundelstown, which is north of Tara, the facility will be illuminated by arc lights around the clock. The Hill of Tara which is a world heritage site, is considered internationally to be equal in importance to Egypt's Pyramid Complex at Giza. The proposed M3 motorway, running through the nearby valley, has already provoked huge controversy. However, the Blundelstown interchange, details of which are only now becoming public knowledge, is set to be even more explosive. Bizarrely, the National Roads Authority funded M3 Motorway website is now posting a reassurance from an anonymous gardener which reads: "A landscape architect who assessed the visual impact, stated that he considered the junction at Blundelstown would not visually impinge on the sensitive landscape setting, or surrounding national monument". The EU, however, have now taken an interest in the site. In a damning report, the high powered European Parliament Petitions Committee, which earlier this summer visited Meath, has launched a blistering attack on the Government. The report states: "It is concerned as to why it has been deemed necessary to build one of the largest M3 intersections at this most vulnerable location (Tara Hill) in terms of Ireland's national heritage, which destroys forever the intact archaeological landscape of the area". "The delegation is perplexed by the choice of the route and by the damage done to the integrity of the many sites in the Tara area and the Gabhra area which have been vividly drawn to our attention". The Petitions Committee also went on to recommend that the current project should be scrapped altogether and a new route found. "This motivates a clear call by this committee for a substantial review of the M3, and for less intrusive alternative routes which should safeguard this area for the Irish nation". The Committee also drew attention to "the damage done to the integrity of the many sites in the Tara area and the Gabhra Valley". Of particular note, they said, were sites located at Roestown, Baronstown, Collierstown and Dowdstown. Originally it was thought that there were only five monuments along the M3 route through Tara. That figure has now risen to forty potential sites and is growing weekly. Tara will end up like the Naas Road "The danger is that service stations, warehouses, car showrooms and all sorts of undesirable buildings will end up cropping up all over the M3. It is inevitable and Tara could end up looking like a stretch of the Naas Road. And you know what that"s like?" said Ben Murphy, a civil engineer who lives close to Tara. Already, work on the interchange may have to be delayed indefinitely, after a new national monument was discovered earlier this week on the Soldiers Hill side of the Blundelstown Interchange site. "The site which has just been discovered is intact and we are getting reports that it is an ancient field system or it could be a ring fort. The bulldozers were poised to demolish it until word got out", said Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch. When the National Roads Authority was asked why they were locating an interchange ten times bigger than Croke Park at Tara, the publicly funded roads authority refused to comment. © Irish Mail on Sunday, 21st. October 2007. |
13 November 2007
'Lismullin in Top 10 Most Exciting Archaeological Finds
of 2007 World
Wide'
The Lismullin national monument, discovered early this
year in the
pathway of the M3 motorway, beside the Hill of Tara,
County Meath,
Ireland, is one of the Top 10 most exciting
archaeological finds of
2007, according to Archaeology Magazine, published by the
Archaeological Institute of America (AIA).
TaraWatch has learned that the upcoming issue of
Archaeology Magazine
(January/February 2008) will feature the Top 10 most
exciting
archaeological finds, world wide, in 2007.
The news is contained in an affidavit being prepared by
Dr Ron Hicks of
Ball State University, Indiana, who is a member of AIA,
who endorsed
the TaraWatch nomination of the Hill of Tara
Archaeological Complex to
the World Monuments Fund (WMF), 100 Most Endangered Sites
in January
2007, before the discovery of Lismullin in March 2007.
The affidavit is expected to be included in an upcoming
legal challenge
to the directions given by former Minister for the
Environment, Dick
Roche, on his last day in office in June 2007, for the
excavation and
demolition of the Lismullin find, despite the fact that
he had declared
it a National Monument.
The Archaeological Institute of America is North
America's oldest (125
years old) and largest organization devoted to the world
of archaeology
with more than 8,500 members belonging to 104 AIA
societies in the
United States, Canada, and overseas, united by a shared
passion for
archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge.
The international recognition of the significance of the
Lismullin
site, and its relevance to the litigation between Ireland
the European
Commission, will be discussed at a TaraWatch talk in
Trinity College
Dublin, Saturday 17th November at 12.00pm, hosted by the
Centre for
Medieval and Renaissance Studies, which will feature
Ailill O'Reilly,
BL.
In a separate development, The Massachussetts
Archaeological Society
has also voted unanimously, at its meeting of September
8th, 2007, to
oppose the M3 project. In a recent letter to TaraWatch
they state:
"We wish to express to you our concerns over this
development proposal,
since it will adversely affect the archaeological
integrity of an
entire significant landscape.
"Many of our members are Irish-Americans, and they
have particular
concerns about this.
"We strongly support your efforts to raise public
consciousness in
Ireland to preserve the Tara Archaeological
complex."
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:
"The growing international recognition of the
significance of the
Lismullin national monument highlights the irrational
refusal of the
Irish Government to re-examine the M3 and find an
acceptable solution."
"The inclusion of Lismullin national monument in the
Top 10 most
exciting finds of 2007 will strengthen the case being
brought by the
European Commission, and any High Court application to be
made here in
Ireland."
"The Government should preserve Lismullin and
reroute the M3 now,
instead of abandoning the project to the mercy of the
courts."
ENDS
CONTACT:
ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
President, C. Brian Rose - University of Cincinnati
AIA headquarters 617-353-9361 aia@aia.bu.edu
http://www.archaeol
THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
President, Tonya Largy
Robbins Museum of Archaeology - P.O. Box 700
Middleborough, MA 02346-700
508-947-9005
info@massarchaeolog
http://www.massarch
CENTRE FOR MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE STUDIES,
Director, Dr. Sarah Alyn-Stacey, Trinity COllege Dublin
086-171-4518
TARAWATCH
Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365 info@tarawatch.
http://www.tarawatc
=====
ATTACHMENT: Letter to TaraWatch from MAS:
THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Robbins Museum of Archaeology - P.O. Box 700
Middleborough, MA 02346-700
508-947-9005
info@massarchaeolog
http://www.massarch
October 17, 2007
Mr. Vincent Salafia
c/o TaraWatch
Suite 108, The Capel Building
mary's Abbey, Dublin 7, Ireland
Dear Mr Salafia,
The Massachusetts Archaeological Society is a non-profit,
tax-empt
organisation founded in 1939 whose purpose is to
stimulate the study of
archaeology, particularly in Massachusetts; to promote
and encourage
scientific research in this field; to conserve
archaeological sites,
data and artifacts; to assist in the dissemination of
archaeological
information; to seek through education to substitute
intelligent work
for misdirected archaeological activity; to seek to
prevent the
collection of archaeological specimens for commercial
purposes; to
serve as a bond between all students of archaeology; and
to foster a
more rational public understanding of the aims and limits
of
archaeological research.
In the course of our work, we are frequently called upon
by public
officials to comment upon proposed threats to important
archaeological
sites and landscapes. We have consistently advocated for
the
preservation, and proper archaeological investigation of
these sites.
The proposed construction of a major motorway through the
Tara
Archaeological Complex has been brought to our attention
by our
members. Our Board of Trustees voted unanimously, at its
meeting of
September 8th, 2007, to oppose this project. We wish to
express to you
our concerns over this development proposal, since it
will adversely
affect the archaeological integrity of an entire
significant landscape.
Many of our members are Irish-Americans, and they have
particular
concerns about this. We strongly support your efforts to
raise public
consciousness in Ireland to preserve the Tara
Archaeological complex,
and we encourage you to share this letter with the
appropriate parties.
Very truly yours,
Tonya Largy, President
Curtiss Hoffman, Corresponding Secretary