shocking news arrives by e-mail 10th june

PRESS RELEASE

TARAWATCH.org

10 June 2009

‘Gormley Will Not Present Irish Sites to UNESCO at Seville Meeting’

The Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, has failed to finalise Ireland’s proposed Tentative List of UNESCO Sites, and his Department will not present the Tentative List to the 33rd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Seville, 22-20 June. This means that possible nomination of Tara and other sites in Ireland will be delayed by a year.

The Minister had advertised a public consultation process last December, calling for nominations to Ireland’s Tentative List. An advisory document sent out a 15-member panel of consultants (Expert Advisory group), said:

“Taking into account the feedback/output from the public consultation fora and interactive website, the Expert Advisory Group will identify the appropriate sites/properties/themes for inclusion on the new Tentative List. The new draft Tentative List will then be submitted to the Minister for his agreement by the middle of April 2009. The intention is to forward the list to the WH Centre in time for the World Heritage Committee 33rd Session in Seville in July 2009.”

Ray Connell, of the Department of the Environment, has confirmed that the Expert Advisory group has failed to set up an interactive web site, for public consultation and failed to compile a new Tentative List. Instead, the List will be submitted by mail, thus avoiding oral presentation at the World Heritage Committee meeting, and preventing any public objections.

TaraWatch nominated the Hill of Tara to be a World Heritage Site, but only on condition that the M3 motorway is re-routed first. Our position is supported by the World Monuments Fund and the Smithsonian Institution.

Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:

“John Gormley is delaying the UNESCO nomination of the Hill of Tara, and other Irish sites by a year.

“The Minister has breached the public consultation guidelines, by failing to submit the proposed List of World Heritage Sites to UNESCO at the upcoming World Heritage Committee Meeting in Seville this month.

“The Minister’s delay is preventing Observers from making oral objections at the World Heritage Committee Meeting, in Seville.

“Then Minister’s delay is also ensuring that the M3 is completed, before UNESCO is brought into the equation, and it is too late to save Tara.”

ENDS

Kathy Sinnott (centre)
Kathy Sinnott, Tara's staunch defender, takes up Handstand's idea to approach the Church Authorities

St. Joseph

Ballinabearna,

Ballinhassig,

Co. Cork

Thursday 21^st May 2009

Most Reverend Michael Smith DCL

Diocese of Meath

Dublin Road
Mullingar
Co. Westmeath

Your Excellency,

I am writing concerning the construction of the M3 roadway through the Tara Valley.

The destruction of one of Ireland's most important cultural and archaeological heritage sites is an issue I have been involved with for a long time. In the European Parliament I am host to three petitions concerning Tara. The Committee on Petitions responded enthusiastically last year and called for the destruction of this site to stop. It urged the European Commission to pursue its case against the Irish Authorities. To date, nothing has happened and the destruction is almost complete.

I am hoping that you have a deep enough interest in Ireland’s history to intervene in this matter. A complete programme of Archaeological Research of the Landscape of Tara that could be carried out in the area, as was completed in Navan, is urgently needed. This would perhaps result in a halt to the destruction of Tara.

The pastoral peace of the landscape here is well worth preserving–as undoubtedly many hundreds of tourists visit there every year. I hope that you will take this issue very seriously and do everything in your power to protect Ireland's most precious and historical heritage site, which was once the home of the High Kings and St. Patrick.

I look forward to your response.

Yours,

                                                                                  1

Kathy Sinnott, MEP for Ireland South

Vice President Committee on Petitions

A QUESTION TO THE EU COMMISSION

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4352/08

by Kathy Sinnott (IND/DEM)

to the Commission

Subject:            Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in relation to Tara

Article 11 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that, 'indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalise their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and further manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artifacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.'

In direct opposition to this statement, the Tara/Skyrne Valley in Ireland has been bulldozed and Ireland's most precious and historical heritage site destroyed.

Can the Commission clarify the meaning of the aforementioned Article 11 and confirm whether it can be applied to the situation of Tara?

E-4352/08EN

Answer given by Mr Figel'

on behalf of the Commission

(18.9.2008)

The Commission has no jurisdiction to deal with the question asked, which is a matter solely for the national authorities concerned.

 Editor J. Braddell, and Finian Braddell, on Picnic to Tara May 2009: