Activists make court bid to stop M3

Activists fighting to save the Hill of Tara today launched fresh High Court action to stop the construction of the controversial M3 motorway through the ancient site.

The new case is being taken by Limerick resident Gordon Lucas, who is seeking to enforce EU environmental impact assessment directives and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The computer programming student is seeking an injunction and a declaration that the National Monuments Act 2004 is in breach of EU law.

Campaign group Tarawatch said the case against the Minister for Environment John Gormley is being taken as a last resort after the Government opted not to perform a new environmental impact assessment on the proposed demolition of the Lismullin national monument.

It hopes the High Court fight will protect the 2,000 year-old ruins discovered at Lismullin, near the Hill of Tara, which has been earmarked for demolition.

The semicircular enclosure at Lismullin lies across the proposed northbound lane of the controversial new M3 motorway.

Around 80 metres in diameter, it dates from between 380BC and 520BC.

Throughout the case, expert evidence will argue that Lismullin is a central part of the archaeological complex associated with the Hill of Tara, which was placed on the '2008 List of 100 Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Fund'.

Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said this is a parallel case to the case being taken against Ireland by the European Commission, which states the Irish Government is in breach of EU law.

“Work should cease immediately within the Tara archaeological complex, until this matter is resolved for once and for all,” he added.