OCTOBER 2007
1.Rath Lugh Prior to road building Archive Galway
update Friday 5.10.2007
Is this the reason why Bono is silent?!!:THE BONO WATCH… We checked out the web site of Forbes Magazine, co-owned by Bono, in late July and found an endorsement of pro-censorship lunatic Sam Brownback’s flat tax proposal and a relentless drumbeat for lower taxes for the rich. This is fine with Bono, who moved his corporate headquarters from
At June’s Technology Entertainment
and Design conference in Tanzania, Andrew Mwenda, a
Ugandan journalist and social worker, spoke out against
reliance on foreign charity, pointing out that it had
never succeeded in reviving an economy anywhere in the
world, least of all Africa. He made his points only with
difficulty however because throughout the speech he was
heckled from the back of the room with shouts of
“Bullshit!” and “Bollocks!” The
heckler was Bono, who apparently believes that the
nonsense he’s been spoon-fed by the likes of Bush
and Tony Blair is gospel. What Bono doesn’t want to
hear is the truth: He’s not one of the oppressed,
the oppressed never asked him to speak for them, and he
has about as much chance of leading Africa out of its
economic and political problems as his political pals do
of creating peace and justice in Mesopotamia.
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***********************************Rock Stars? Haha
update Tuesday
evening:
TARAWATCH.org
02 October 2007
'Minister Gormley Must Order Independent Assessment of
Rath Lugh'
Minister Gormley must clarify the details of the
Temporary Preservation
Order he is placing on the national monument at Rath
Lugh, due to
conflicting reports in the media. He must also commission
independent
assessmnet of the site, as well as other sites in the
area, and publish
the results.
No detailed physical description has yet been given of
the area to be
protected by the Order, other than to say the 'national
monument'.
According to RTE News at One, the National Roads
Authority and the
Department of the Environment both maintain that the
national monument
only extends to the ringfort on top of the promontory
hill, not the
base of the hill that is being affected.
Up until recently, the National Roads Authority
maintained that the M3
was passing within 100 metres of the national monument.
Then that
figure was changed to 20 metres, after a 'mapping error'.
But if the
National Monument is on the top of the hill only, then
the Order is
meaningless, and the damage to the site will continue.
TaraWatch is calling for independent archaeological and
engineering
reports to be performed immediately; not just on Rath
Lugh but on the
entire valley.
Vincent Salafia said:
"This hopeless incompetence has to stop, before the
entire historic
region is destroyed. There has to be a new public
process, under EU
law, which entails independent expert advice and public
opinion, both
of which are overwhelmingly against ploughing any further
on the
present route.
"First, the NRA said that only five sites would be
impacted by the M3
between Navan and Dunshaughlin. That number rose to 38
after planning
was given.
"Then, a massive 80 metre wide national monument at
Lismullin is missed
and later 'discovered'
place a Temporary Preservation order on this site. He
should have
placed an order on Lismullin as well.
"Now, the land take for the M3 is 80 metres off, and
encroaching on
another national monument, and suddenly Grmley has the
power to stop
works. But his Department still claims the national
monument is not
being impacted, making the Order seemingly irrelevant.
"The EU will decide in two weeks if they are taking
the Irish
Government to Court over this, and we are continuing to
take legal
advice. Sadly, this Order will not be enoughb to prevent
ligitation in
Ireland or the EU.
Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365
2.rath lugh now Sun 23rd
Sept.2007 by Paul Gerhityİ
tara press release
TARAWATCH.org
2 October 2007
'Gormley Must Also Place Preservation Order on Lismullin
National
Monument'
Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, has made the
welcome move of placing a Temporary Preservation Order on
the national monument of Rath Lugh. However, it would be
completely inconsistent if he did not also place a
similar protection order on Lismullin, the other national
monument in dispute. Rath Lugh stands only 500 metres
away from the national monument at Lismullin, which is
currently being dismantled and preserved 'by record'.
TaraWatch is calling on Minister Gormley to also halt
excavation of the
Lismullin national monument, until the European
Commission has decided whether or not it will take
Ireland to the European Court of Justice over the
decision of Dick Roche to demolish the site. The
Commission has already told the Irish Government that it
believes the decision was contrary to EU law, because it
was made without ordering a new Environmental Impact
Assessment. A decision from the Commission is expected in
the coming weeks.
The Commission has been informed that Dr Ronald Hicks of
Ball State
University recently examined the Lismullin national
monument, and
issued a report that completely contradicts that of the
NRA. According
to Dr Hicks, the Lismullin site is actually an ancient
amphithere,
which is apparent to this day. (Report: http://tarawatch.
On September 22 the World Monuments Fund adopted the
opinion of Dr
Hicks and called on the Minister to halt works on the
Lismullin site.
They have also written to the EU, asking for interim
measures to
protect the site 'in situ'. (Statement: http://tarawatch.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:
"The original planning permission for the M3 did not
contemplate the
demolition of any national monuments. "It doesn't
make sense that the Minister would protect one
nationalmonument, and allow the neighbouring one to be
demolished. It makesthis decision look like a temporary
window dressing, designed to shutpeople up.
"Minister Gormley has shown he has the power and
duty to issue a
protection order for Lismullin national monument as well.
He should do
so immediately, to prevent further irreversible damage
being done.
"The Minister is required, under European law, to
excercise the
'precautionary principle' and prevent any irreversible
damage to theenvironment, once he is on notice there is a
problem. The Minister cannot deny there is also a problem
with Lismullin now that the World Monuments Fund and the
European Commission are telling him there is.
Contact:
TaraWatch - Vincent Salafia (+353) 87-132-3365
http://www.tarawatc
World Monuments Fund - Will Black
Press and Publications Officer (+44) 207-730-5344
http://www.wmf.
TARAWATCH.org
01
October 2007
'Minister Gormley Considering Placing Preservation Order
on M3 Site'
John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, is currently
considering placing a Temporary Preservation Order on
Rath Lugh, a national monument being impacted by the M3
motorway, according to an email sent by his office last
week to a campaigner. (see below)
This indicates a major shift in policy by the Minister,
who has claimed that no sites are being improperly
interfered with, and that he has not power to act.
Mr Farrelly recently wrote to the Minister to complain
that the national monument is being directly impacted,
and that the land-take for the M3 had been expanded at
the site.
According to the National Roads Authority, Rath Lugh is
not being impacted. Their web site FAQ number 6 states:
6. Why locate the M3 where it will separate the site of
Rath Lugh from
Tara? http://www.m3motorw
In the Discovery Programme publication 'Tara, an
Archaeological Survey', Newman reinterpreted Rath Lugh,
an RMP site which lies 2.5km to the north-east of Tara,
as a defensive inland cliff-edge fort, rather than a
ringfort. Newman (1997, 200-206) tentatively proposed
that despite problems of classification and dating it was
tempting to consider is as part of a defensive zone
around Tara. Rath Lugh is today separated from Tara by
the existing N3 and lies under dense vegetation
and tree cover. It was not possible to route the M3 to
the east of the site, instead it skirts the base of the
elevated promontory on which Rath Lugh is located,
approximately 20m below, and will not interfere with the
site itself or the view of this site from Tara.
Under Section 4 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act
1954, the Minister can place a Temporary Preseervation
Order, for up to six
months:
http://www.irishsta
4.—(1) Where it appears to the Commissioners that a
monument which in their opinion is a national monument is
in immediate danger of injury or destruction the
Commissioners may by order (in this Act referred to as a
temporary preservation order) undertake the preservation
of such
monument.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:
"This is a very significant statement from the
Minister, who is telling members of the public that he is
actively considering taking decisive legal action on the
M3.
"We know the EU Environment Commission are currently
investigating Rath Lugh, and that the National Museum
have expressed concerns about the works there.
"Rath Lugh is being directly impacted, as we have
told the Minister all along. We are delighted he now
appears to be finally listening.
ENDS
Contact Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365
John Farrelly: 087-127-6829
EMAIL SENT BY MINISTER TO JOHN FARRELLY
27 September, 2007.
Mr. John Farrelly.
RE: REP2137/JG/07
Dear Mr. Farrelly,
I have been asked by Mr. John Gormley T.D., Minister for
the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to refer
further to your recent correspondence in connection with
the designation of Rath Lugh.
The position is that the Rath Lugh monument is listed on
the statutory Record of Monuments and Places for County
Meath (RMP Number: ME032-025). As such, it is afforded
protection under the National Monuments Acts, whereby the
Minister must by law be notified two months
in advance of any proposed works at the site.
Rath Lugh is considered to be a national monument within
the definition of section 2 of the National Monuments Act
1930 (as amended). It is understood that it is currently
in the ownership of Coillte. The Minister is currently
considering the placing of a Temporary Preservation Order
on the monument.
I trust that this clarifies the position for you.
Yours sincerely,
____________
Eddie Kiernan,
Private Secretary