The Tara Bypass – what they won’t tell you
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A decision due in the High Court today
From the RTE website
The High Court has rejected an application for an injunction which would effectively have stopped work on the M3 motorway.
The injunction would have possibly led to its re-routing from the Tara/Skryne Valley in Co Meath.
In his reserved judgement today, Mr Justice Thomas Smith rejected the application by campaigner Mr Vincent Salavia on all grounds.
The judge ruled that Mr Salavia had delayed in taking his legal action and that he did not have the legal standing to take the action in the first place.
The judge also ruled that the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, did not err in granting licences to allow archaeological works to proceed on 36 sites in the valley
M3 campaigner facing €600,000 fees
15 March 2006 12:36
Environmentalist Vincent Salafia now faces a legal bill of more than €600,000.This follows a High Court ruling that he was liable for the costs arising from his unsuccessful challenge to the proposed routing of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara.
Mr Salafia has indicated, however, that he will appeal to the Supreme Court.
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He had urged the High Court not to make cost orders against him, arguing that he had taken the case in the public interest and out of concern for the Hill of Tara.
It had to happen sooner or later; I feel a lot of sympathy for him having met him I would be very clear that there was no financial motivation behind this challenge and ultimately one likes to see cases taken in the public interest and it is easy to forget that the protagonists can suffer serious consequences if they fail.
Waiting in the footsteps of history on top of the Hill of Tara
From:ireland.com
Thursday, 22nd June, 2006Ghosts often walked the earthworks at Tara. This was the ancient seat of Ireland’s kings. Heroes lived and died here. Yesterday, the hill was populated with those waiting for the solstice dawn. High on a hilltop, with views spanning seven counties on a clear day, close your eyes and imagine warriors on determined horses.
Stories emerge from the mist. Legends maintain that Conn Cetchathach, King of Tara and Ireland, used to pace here thinking about his enemies. On one particular morning, while walking at dawn with his druids and poets, he stepped on a stone which cried out beneath his feet.
The bewildered king soon realised something important had happened. His druid bent close and explained that the stone was named Fal and that it had made an important prophecy.
Conn’s descendents would reign over Ireland. The stone made other announcements, but its chief concern was always Tara’s rulers.
No one on the hilltop at Tara yesterday before daylight was overly preoccupied by power.
Instead, they scanned the east for the first signs of the rising sun at a place venerated since the third century when King Cormac Mac Airt held court here.
It is midsummer. On this day, summer peaks and the sun begins its slow farewell towards the darkness of winter. It is a celebration tinged with regret. A lone drummer is building up to a steady beat. After a cold, blustery night, the watchers have pale faces. Several were dressed in long, flowing robes and headgear. Their silhouettes looked dramatic as they made their ways over the damp grass. Were they chanting? Or was it merely the wind?
Most are heading towards the large royal enclosure upon which the famous stone, Lia Fail, stands.
A small group has already begun its vigil. A lantern housing a thick candle flickers. Two women have decided to wait by the Mound of Hostages.
Perhaps they are at prayer?
Just down from the stone, a man looks like he is sleeping, but he gives a yelp and his companion seems pleased.
“He has made contact with the gods.”
Good for him.
Light begins to slip through the clouds. It surges and grows strong and, at 4.43am, the sun asserts itself, as does the drum beat. The good-natured watchers cheer and sing; a female druid whispers “Happy solstice!”
I wonder will the lights at the interchange be switched off at that time?
Carrickmines M50 appeal is dismissed
The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal in relation to the Carrickmines works on the southeastern route of the M50 in Dublin.
The works were completed last year, and the motorway opened, but the appeal had been continuing its passage through the courts.
The case was taken by Dominic Dunne against the Minister for the Environment and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
Mr Dunne occupied the Carrickmines Castle site in 2002.
It was argued that Section 8 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004, which introduced a special provision in relation to completing the M50 at Carrickmines Castle, was unconstitutional.
It was further argued that the 2004 Act contravened EU Directives, and that even if the Act did not, the Minister’s decisions did.
The Court unanimously rejected all the grounds of appeal.
An Taisce seeks to challenge M3 construction
Friday, 30 March 2007 15:42
The heritage organisation, An Taisce, is seeking permission from the High Court to challenge the construction of the M3 motorway, in legal action that could have implications for the State’s entire road building programme.An Taisce says the National Roads Authority has failed to comply with legislation obliging it to produce a draft plan for the construction and maintenance of the national roads system every five years.
Because of this, it says the procedure followed in relation to the M3 motorway between Clonee and Kells is completely flawed.
An Taisce described the building of the M3 as having very major consequences for a range of environmental issues, and it said it would have adverse effects on the national monument at the Hill of Tara.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly refused to grant permission for An Taisce’s challenge without hearing from the NRA and the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen.
He said negotiations are underway and may even be completed between the NRA and the contractor who is going to build the motorway.
Justice Kelly was not prepared to take the risk of jeopardising those negotiations without hearing from the NRA.
The case will come before the court again next Wednesday when the NRA and Minister Cullen will have the opportunity of making submissions.
I wonder can the right decision be made at 2359
@Sue wrote:
Yes but Paul, what kind of precedent would it send if the government was to say: “this is the best route for the M3, but because environmental nutters are going to make our lives a misery for the next five years and delay the project in the courts, we’re going to move it elsewhere.” It would be a huge victory for the anti-road lobby, without them having to spend a penny or a day in court, and it would fuel their campaigns against other bypasses and motorways.
No, let them do their worst in court. A la Carrickmines and Glen of the Downes, the road will get built in the end and by-passing motorists will wonder what the hell the fuss was ever about
In relation to the 26 archaeological sites of interest, the question is how important are any of them? Should the march of a nation be held up because a Celt once sharpened a stone in a particular field? I think a site should be more than just “of interest” before a lot of money is spent excavating it…
:confused: I have no axe to grind one way or the other on this but if some “environmental nutters†were not dismissed on other projects Galway (and another 6-8 County’s in Ireland) may have drinking water that is above the quality of an open sewer in Bombay, 40% of the “essential†housing built in the past 4 years we were told we needed urgently would not be vacant, Georgian houses would not be demolished to make way for “landmark†steel and plastic piles.
🙂 At least the “nutters†won the day when the majestic Cobh Cathedral was to be vandalized in the name of progress?Who else but the “culturally” sensitive Irish government would want to build a motor-way through Tara!! I do not, for example, see the French government wanting to build one through Carnac. Perhaps we should simply abandon any public effort to conserve our monuments and outsource the whole shebang to the French governmant. We are running out of solutions….
@Praxiteles wrote:
Who else but the “culturally” sensitive Irish government would want to build a motor-way through Tara!! I do not, for example, see the French government wanting to build one through Carnac. Perhaps we should simply abandon any public effort to conserve our monuments and outsource the whole shebang to the French governmant. We are running out of solutions….
Of course you wouldn’t, in France the people would storm the Bastille and Jacques Chirac would be found swinging from the nearest tree…In Ireland we would have a whip around and give our leader 50 grand so that he could open a piggy bank account.
Viva Le Republic…..the real one!!!@kite wrote:
Of course you wouldn’t, in France the people would storm the Bastille and Jacques Chirac would be found swinging from the nearest tree…In Ireland we would have a whip around and give our leader 50 grand so that he could open a piggy bank account.
Viva Le Republic…..the real one!!!There were bad riots in the Gare du Nord yesterday…all to do with “répression”…think of what will happen when the underdog goes topside in Ireland!
Eoghan harris had an excellent take in the sindo on the current fecker attitude.
But to be honest the alan Ruddock take on stealth taxes bites a little closer to home. The economy will not self destruct if the stealth taxes are repealed and the population are permitted to know that income tax and vat are the end of the story.
I tried really hard not to comment on the Galway water situation this week as it could be a cheap shot on the tribesmen. But roche made it so easy after his day with the engineers and his €48m fund grant. You can’t build a €48m system for €21m and the fact that both City and County were denied the €27m so Dempsey could get a commuter motorway disecting his old constituency has given 1000 people a life threatening condition.
Prehistoric site discovery halts M3 work
Tuesday, 1 May 2007 19:57
The Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche has ordered that work be stopped on the controversial new M3 motorway near Tara, Co Meath, because of the discovery of a substantial national monument.Yesterday, the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen turned the first sod on the M3 motorway.
The archaeological site was discovered in Lismullen beside the Hill of Tara is said to be the size of three football fields.
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Prehistoric find halts some work on M3
Wednesday, 2 May 2007 17:16
The Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, has ordered that some work be stopped in an area surrounding a prehistoric find on part of the planned route of the M3 motorway in Co Meath.It follows the finding of what has been described as a substantial national monument at Lismullen, beside the Hill of Tara.
On Monday, the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, turned the first sod on the M3 motorway.
The archaeological site is said to be the size of three football fields.
The Department of the Environment has declined to state whether it has issued draft directions to the National Museum that the newly discovered national monument be preserved by record’.
TaraWatch, the group campaigning to have the M3 motorway re-routed, has claimed that such an order has been issued and will result in the monument being destroyed in a matter of days after a brief examination.
A spokesman for Minister Roche declined to say whether or not such directions had been issued to the Director of the National Museum Dr Pat Wallace.
Surprise surprise the National Museum will not be permitted to make a proper determination.
Ah sure there only a few auld bits of broken dishes anyhow
We needs our motorway to Enniskillen for match days
Paul Clerkin wrote:would that be soccer fields or gaa fields ]An puc fada
@Paul Clerkin wrote:
any word of what it is
From today’s Times –
Tara ‘henge’ will be destroyed – claim
Tim O’BrienMinister for the Environment Dick Roche has already issued draft directions that would allow for the destruction of the recently discovered “henge” along the route of the M3 in Co Meath, it was claimed yesterday.
The environmental group TaraWatch said Mr Roche had sent draft directions to the National Museum to preserve the henge “by record”, a process that would facilitate photographs and written records being made before the henge is removed.
Under Section 14A of the National Monuments Act 2004, if a national monument is discovered, the Minister is required to consult the director of the National Museum before deciding on what action to take.
Mr Roche told The Irish Times yesterday that he was in consultation with the National Museum, but he declined to elaborate on the nature of that consultation. Asked if he had sent draft directions to the museum to preserve the monument by record, as claimed by TaraWatch, Mr Roche repeated that he was “in consultation with the National Museum” and referred to his department’s previously issued comments on the discovery.
On Tuesday the department said: “The Minister has consulted with the director of the museum on the directions that would be most appropriate in this instance from the point of view of best archaeological practice. Directions will issue as soon as possible after the Minister receives the director’s response.
“The Minister is advised that the surviving elements of the monument are extremely fragile, underlining the need for an early decision on how to proceed.”
TaraWatch spokesman Vincent Salafia said the group had “well-placed sources within the National Museum” who were aware of draft directions that had been sent, which instructed that the monument be preserved by record.
Dr Mark Clinton, chairman of An Taisce’s national monuments and antiquities committee, said: “The discovery of what could be called a temple, after the fashion of a comparable discovery at Emain Macha, seat of the kings of Ulster, is of obvious major significance. Such sites are extremely rare.” He called for full scientific excavation to be followed by reconstruction.
Labour Party environment spokesman Éamon Gilmore said the issue could have been avoided if the Government had accepted a November 2004 proposal that the M3 be developed immediately in three sections, “and that the controversial section, running through the Skryne Valley, be rerouted”.
Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell has said she was “stunned” to learn that “more than 500 archaeologists, hired at a cost of €30 million, managed to miss a four-acre historical site while excavating for the new M3 motorway”.
© 2007 The Irish Times
FF really are running solo on this one
@PVC King wrote:
FF really are running solo on this one
Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell has said she was “stunned” to learn that “more than 500 archaeologists, hired at a cost of €30 million, managed to miss a four-acre historical site while excavating for the new M3 motorway”
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Jaysus – My primary degree is Archaeology and I ‘don’t like’ Fine Gael – but it’s a fair question.And – holy cow! were there 500 archaeologists? (There were just 13 in my class back in early medieval times – and no jobs!)
So it is entirely possible that a number of imported professionals with no grounding in Celtic archaelogy or unqualified personnel were used.
Warning over M3 national monument
Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:15
TaraWatch has predicted a High Court challenge will be initiated almost immediately if the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, approves the demolition of a prehistoric site in the path of the M3 motorway.Mr Roche is currently examining a report from the Director of the National Museum, Dr Pat Wallace, on the newly found enclosure at Lismullen. He is expected to announce a decision on the matter this week.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said today that he would prefer if all sides in the row would participate in mediation to resolve the problem to everyone’s satisfaction.
AdvertisementHowever he said if Minister Roche orders that the new find be preserved by record then there would be a race against the clock to secure a judicial review of that decision.
Mr Salafia said a new submission to the minister from US academic Dr Ronald Hicks had concluded that, to avoid damage to this pre-historic landscape, the route should be shifted.
The environmental group maintains it is not opposed to the road, but wants it moved to protect the Tara site.
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