Viking warrior threatens bypass plan

BEDEVILED by castles, mounds, fairy forts, druids, and even the odd spiritual guru, the National Roads Authority faces yet another block to its plans for towing Ireland’s roadways into the 21st century.

It comes in the shape of a Viking warrior whose mortal remains have been discovered along the planned route of the €300 million Waterford city by-pass. Though dead for more than 1,000 years, his presence is sure to breathe life into those protesting elsewhere against what they see as the NRA’s bulldozer approach to our ancient heritage.

Although the NRA has confirmed that it is treating the Waterford site as one of “special interest”, it insists that road works will press ahead, conceding only that the project could now demand “a significant amount” of additional expenditure.

However, Donnchadh Ó Corráin, Professor of Medieval History at UCC and a leading expert on the Viking Age, called for the route to be changed to protect the site, which he described the site as “one of the most exciting new finds in a century”.

“It seems to have been a military settlement on the banks of the Suir, probably a place where ships were built in the middle of the ninth century,” Prof Ó Corráin told Morning Ireland.

He added that the presence of the warrior suggested there may be many more bodies. “He was carrying a fair amount of hardware including a spear and sword.”

Of the NRA’s reluctance, Prof Ó Corráin said: “Changing the route is essential to allow proper scientific excavation. If we are going not to disgrace ourselves in civilised Europe, we are going to have to come to an accommodation. We don’t need to destroy in order to build.”

Prof Ó Corráin added: “There is no reason why this site cannot be properly excavated and why a whopping fine road be laid down between Waterford and Dublin. The two interests are not mutually exclusive.”

An NRA spokesman said the authority had been adopting a “responsible approach” by consulting with the Department of the Environment, the National Museum and the Heritage Council.

He added there had been no prior evidence of such a site, despite an in-depth planning process.

He said the NRA believes that the bypass can and should go ahead because the routing cannot be changed without restarting the planning process.

It all has a familiar ring to it. In February 2003, a legal challenge was mounted to prevent further work being carried out on the M50 at the site of Carrickmines Castle.

Eventually, the Supreme Court granted an injunction preventing Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council from undertaking work on the site.

A similar row has broken out over plans for the M3 motorway in Co Meath. Last month international voices joined local opposition to the campaign to save the Hill of Tara from being bisected by the motorway. Legal proceedings against further excavations have been threatened.