Tara motorway protesters to take legal action

OBJECTORS opposing the building of a motorway close to the Hill of Tara have pledged to take a series of legal challenges to ensure the route is changed.

In the next few weeks they plan to seek a judicial review of the An Bord Pleanala decision to grant permission to the controversial M3 Motorway and also intend to challenge compulsory purchase orders due to be issued by Meath County Council shortly for lands needed to build the motorway.

They also say they will go to the European Court of Justice with a claim that the project breaches the National Monuments Act, and will seek to have Tara declared an UNESCO world heritage site like Newgrange and Skellig Michael.

The strategy was unveiled by a new umbrella organisation, the Save The Tara/Skreen Valley Group, which held its first meeting yesterday to outlined its campaign of action.

The group was founded by the Carrickminders who staged a lengthy occupation at the medieval site of Carrickmines Castle on the M50 route in South Co Dublin last year and also took several legal challenges, resulting in a European Commission investigation which has is due to be completed shortly.

Spokesman Vincent Salafia said membership also included the Columban Fathers, who own much of the land through which the M3 will run, An Taisce, residents groups and local and national historians.

Mr Salafia said that the group would not rule out occupying the site, as the Carrickminders did in Dublin, but he hoped that that course of action would not be necessary.

The Save The Tara/Skreen Valley Group are holding a public meeting at St Columba’s College, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath, at 8pm this Thursday, September 11, to detail their concerns.