Protesters vow to step up M3 campaign after deal struck

PROTESTERS opposed to the M3 Meath motorway route yesterday pledged to escalate their campaign.

Campaigners protecting the Rath Lugh national monument at the Tara/Skryne valley said they were prepared to repeat the actions of psychology graduate Lisa Feeney who dug herself into a tunnel for several days.

Ms Feeney finally emerged from the seven-metre shaft late on Saturday night after pleas from her family as well as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

The Trinity College graduate, 26, had “booby trapped” the tunnel to collapse if workers tried to dig her out and she was prepared to stay underground for up to two months.

Her father Jim Feeney met her as she climbed out of the tunnel after 11pm on Saturday amid rounds of applause from fellow campaigners after having spent three days underground.

Protesters say Ms Feeney only agreed to come out of the tunnel after a deal was struck with the National Roads Authority to halt work at the monument for a month.

This will give protesters enough time to progress a legal challenge to the construction works in the courts.

In the meantime though, objectors to the M3 route will be asked to mount protests outside building sites nationwide operated by SIAC, a construction firm involved in the motorway project.

Protestor spokesman Derek Berrill explained: “We’ve only started. The tunnel is a minor thing as far as we’re concerned.

“If people are willing to be in solidarity [with us], it’s up to them to protest outside sites next week,”

Mr Berrill said protesters were “absolutely willing” to repeat Ms Feeney’s actions if necessary.

Campaigners are officially expected to call for the building site protests on Tuesday.

In the meantime, Ms Feeney was said to be in good spirits yesterday while recovering from her time spent in the tunnel.

She visited two Garda stations after leaving the protesters’ site over the weekend, where campaigners say documents were left with gardaí relating to her agreement with the NRA concerning the building stoppage.

It could not be clarified last night exactly what role gardaí had played in reaching the agreement.

Last week, a High Court bid to halt work on the M3 Dublin to Navan motorway failed.

The court application for an injunction to stop the work claimed a national monument on the site was in danger of being damaged because of the building work.

The NRA denied the claim and said any delay in the project would cost the taxpayer €330,000 per week.

The NRA did not return calls yesterday.