Sue

Look what the anti-Tara people are resorting to now – using dead dogs as propaganda weapons 😀

PRESS RELEASE

TARAWATCH.org

30 May 2007

‘TaraWatch Condemns Removal of Wolfhound Skeleton from Lismullen Henge,
While Roche Considers M3 Reroute’

Archaeological works are taking place today at Lismullen henge, the
newly discovered national monument in the pathway of the M3 motorway,
in the Tara-Skryne Valley. In particular, archaeologists are removing
the remains of a massive dog, which appears to be an Irish Wolfhound,
found fully intact in the vicinity of the enclosure.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:

“The dog was amazing. It was in perfect condition and had been very
carefully buried; but it is gone now. Its teeth looked about 6 inches
long. This was an important piece of evidence that indicated that the
site was a royal enclosure”

So we should stop building roads because there could be dead dogs buried underneath?? PVC, Rory W et al – I await your views. 😀

Shame on me for bringing an article in the Irish Times to a wider audience? :confused:

So is it shame on the Irish Times for publishing the piece? Shame on the NRA for defending themselves and putting forward their perspective?

Or, are people you don’t agree with not allowed to express their point of view?

Taking care in digging deep into our past.

17 May 2007
Irish Times
(c) 2007, The Irish Times.

The NRA’s archaeological survey work on the route of the M3 has been diligent and thorough, suggests Fred Barry

The discovery of what the National Roads Authority (NRA) believes to be a national monument at Lismullin on the route of the M3 motorway has generated much comment about the archaeological investigative practices of the NRA and the nature and significance of the site.

The M3 project is the product of a four-year planning process which began in 1999, leading to An Bord Pleanála’s decision to approve the proposed motorway in 2003. This followed a 28-day oral hearing which addressed all issues of concern, including potential impacts on the Hill of Tara and the archaeology of the area.

That process, which included 10 route options, took into consideration engineering, the environment, archaeological sensitivities, safety and cost.

The selected route was regarded by the county council and the NRA as the best because it gave archaeological protection a high priority in balance with other needs such as:

avoiding house demolition where possible;

avoiding placing the motorway too close to houses;

limiting the fracturing of residential communities;

minimising the splitting and disruption of farms;

minimising visual, noise and air quality impacts;

ensuring the route fulfils its transportation purpose.

The authority takes seriously its responsibilities in relation to archaeology and commits significant financial and personnel resources to ensure that archaeology is dealt with at all stages in full compliance with legislation.

We expect to spend in excess of €200 million on archaeological work on national road schemes over the seven-year period of the National Development Plan. For the M3 project, we have spent €23 million to date on archaeology, and more than 400 archaeologists have been employed.

The M3 involved desktop, field and geophysical surveys, following which the scheme was archaeologically tested. Some 160 sites were identified in 2004, including Lismullin, and seven additional sites also came to light. This rate of discovery is consistent with experience on other national road schemes.

The interim results of this archaeological work have been extensively publicised via a dedicated M3 website ( http://www.m3motorway.ie ), NRA Archaeological Discoveries series leaflets, and articles in Archaeology Ireland and the NRA’s new archaeology magazine Seanda.

In relation to Lismullin, a total of 810 objects were recovered during the topsoil assessment and, typically, the majority of these were modern in the form of nails, bolts and other agricultural debris.

Upon completion of the topsoil assessment, careful mechanical topsoil removal commenced. This was carried out slowly, using flat-bladed buckets, and under constant archaeological supervision and control. The site was revealed to be a series of smaller sites of varying dates from Bronze Age to early modern.

The whole area was then trowelled by hand in order to identify all archaeological features. Additional features were identified during this phase of archaeological review. They consisted of a series of arcs of small stakeholes which were not visible prior to excavation, because surface evidence had been removed by centuries of ploughing. The stakeholes are small, shallow (15-25cm, six to 10 inches) and difficult to distinguish from the sub-soil.

No one archaeological assessment technique can identify all archaeological remains hidden below topsoil.

It is widely acknowledged throughout Europe that archaeological test trenching, as used by the NRA, is the most successful methodology for identifying such sites. A combination of extensive testing and geophysical surveys, as carried out on the M3, is acknowledged as archaeological best practice. It was the combination of these phases of careful and deliberate assessment that led to the discovery of the enclosure at Lismullin.

The significance of the site was established by NRA archaeologists, and an on-site meeting was held with both the Department of the Environment’s chief archaeologist and the director of the National Museum. Following this, the authority submitted its findings to the Minister, who will issue his directions in due course and the NRA will fully implement them.

The M3 will comprise a total of 110km (68 miles) of new road and a further 34km of access roads. Work is continuing, with the exception of a zone in the vicinity of the Lismullin site.

After years of delay during the planning period and legal challenges (all of which supported the professionalism of those acting on behalf of the NRA and Meath County Council), we look forward to finally improving the quality of life, and the safety, of today’s residents of Meath and Cavan.

Fred Barry is chief executive of the National Roads Authority

You’ve just cut and pasted Rory W’s earlier contribution and put it down as your own? :confused:

Far from being ridiculous, my position is held by most people in Ireland. You, PVC King, are in a very small minority. I note, for example, that the M3 is not an issue in Meath in this election.

This is Tara seat of the High Kings of Ireland

This, PVC King, epitomises the difficulty I have with your argument. Unlike other anti-M3 people on this site, you want to argue two cases at once – (a) that we don’t need an M3 at all, AND (b) No road should be built through the Tara area. All other anti-M3 people are making do with one of these arguments – usually (b). I don’t agree with them – but I understand where they’re coming from. I don’t understand where you’re coming from at all.

On the one hand you bludgeon us over the head with endless statistics – e.g. 7.5% of freight movements – to prove that no M3 is needed. Then you posit far-fetched conspiracy theories e.g. that this is all a devious plot by toll-booth operators. And then in the next breath you’re making an illogical and emotive appeal to Celtic mysticism by stating that Tara was the seat of the high kings of Ireland.

I refuse to get bogged down in a debate over statistics and traffic movements. This road has been through the planning process and the High Court, and I am not going to second-guess what they’ve found. It looks a good enough system to me, with lots of democratic input, expert advise, ministerial accountability etc.

However, I will challenge you on this mysticism stuff, the idea that no thoroughfare can be put through this area, not even after the most painstaking work by the NRA to avoid any archaeological hazards, because several thousands years ago a few druids sat around sacrificing cows, or whatever it was that our Celtic ancestors got up to. There is no reason why we should have to tip-toe around forever more because MINOR archaeological finds may be made in this area.

I am not for a moment suggesting that monuments of genuine national importance should be protected, but I refuse to accept that just because Tara is 2km away over the fields that we cannot have a decent road link to Dublin. Once all the proper precautions are being taken, and the proper proecdures have been followed. Guess what? They have been.

Meanwhile, the £270 an hour you “fee”, is that sterling? Blimey.

Anyone in Meath who needs a proper road should move to Kildare? Congrats, Fin. That is officially the most stupid argument ever made on the Archeire site.

And yes, I read all 3,900 idiotic entries by PVC King before coming to my considered conclusion.

Are you disputing that Meath needs a motorway, PVC King? If so, your argument is even weaker than I thought

Christ almighty, no wonder the development of this country is proceeding at snail’s pace when there are cranks like you about, with the energy to post 3,500 entries to websites complaining about everything and anything:mad:

What’s the verdict on the new one? Seems like a reasonably faithful reconstruction

When, oh when, is its neighbour across the road – the Stephen’s Green shopping centre – going to introduce more entrances and exits? It’s bonkers that there’s only two ways in and out of the place, with no doorway at all from the west-side. Amazing how little that shop centre reacts to its passing trade. Most places reach out and grab you