Tara campaigners vow to fight on in Europe

Environmentalists today vowed to take their fight to Europe after An Bord Pleanala approved the controversial M3 motorway through 2000-year-old newly discovered ruins at the Hill of Tara.

The planning board’s green light means the prehistoric Lismullen site, thought to be a ceremonial enclosure, will be probed by archaeologists before being razed to make way for the multi-million euro project.

The board was examining whether the discovery last April of the ancient structure in the motorway’s path would require a fresh planning application by developers.

But it said the find did not constitute a material alteration to the M3 scheme, which it had already approved in September 2003.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) said it respected the board’s decision, while protesters branded the news as disappointing.

“We’re obviously disappointed but not surprised,” campaigner Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said.

“We’re going to run to our lawyers now with a copy of the decision from An Bord Pleanala.

“TaraWatch will make an immediate appeal to the European Commission over the decision of An Bord Pleanala to allow the M3 motorway to be built over the newly discovered Lismullen national monument.

“The decision of the board was made without any public consultation or opportunity for independent assessment to be given,” he said.

Controversy has surrounded the site since the ruins were uncovered by workers during construction of the motorway four months ago.

Its discovery came just a day after the then Transport Minister Martin Cullen turned the sod on the €850m euro road project.

The semicircular enclosure, which lies across the northbound lane of the proposed motorway and is around 2km from the Tara hill, is 80 metres in diameter and dates from between 380BC and 520BC.

The discovery was granted National Monument status and all works were halted at the site.

But in one of his final acts of office, former Environment Minister Dick Roche used the National Monuments Act 2004 and signed an order of preservation by record, meaning the prehistoric henge would be photographed, sketched and measured before being razed to make way for the four-lane road.

Environmentalists claimed work on the project was illegal as the ancient find required a revised environmental impact assessment.

EU officials also called on the Irish Government to halt work on the motorway.

The union’s petitions committee said a route review should be carried out.

Earlier this week a report by a US academic called for the preservation in situ of the site because of its unique size and character.

Mr Roche’s successor, the Green’s John Gormley, maintained he did not have the authority to revoke his predecessor’s decision without a material change in circumstance.

Claiming the ruins were under threat from adverse weather, state archaeologists began excavations on the site earlier this month.

TaraWatch is now planning a Love Tara march in Dublin on September 15, the second such gathering, to protest at the development.