‘Peasant mentality’ drives all over our heritage

IN the run-up to the general election it’s perhaps timely to consider the appalling lack of respect for our heritage which has been continually displayed by the Government, in particular since 2002 when Martin Cullen and his successor Dick Roche held the Environment portfolio.

Arguably, the two most glaring mistakes which occurred during this time were Cullen’s decision to allow the imposition of a modern hotel alongside the unique Anglo-Norman site of Trim Castle and Roche’s decision to approve routing the M3 motorway through the archaeologically sensitive landscape near the Hill of Tara.

Just goes to show that despite our affluence, a peasant mentality still prevails and we have progressed little since the dark days of the 1960s and ‘70s when unique, historical parts of our capital city such as the Georgian terrace of Fitzwilliam Street, and Wood Quay, were ruined through short-sighted opportunism.

Despite a national poll which showed that 70% of those polled opposed the chosen route through the Tara/Skryne valley, in 2005 Mr Roche gave the green light for the motorway which will destroy irrevocably the landscape of the site poet WB Yeats described as “probably the most consecrated spot in Ireland” — the place where our two national symbols of the harp and shamrock converge.

Despite all the bluster at the time and claims that his hands were tied, Roche could have easily spared the valley its fate by refusing to grant licences for archaeological excavations along the route.

He ignored National Museum director Dr Pat Wallace’s stated opposition to the route, not to mention Tara experts Dr Edel Bhreathnach, Dr Conor Newman and Joe Fenwick, and retired senior archaeologist Dr George Eogan, one of the foremost experts on sites from this area who, in January 2005, stated Tara was “not just a hilltop. We’re dealing with an entire area”.

Describing Tara as a “very notable site”, he said the decision “to put something as intrusive as a major roadway through it is very, very strange … an odd decision”.

Other odd decisions are An Bord Pleanála’s in 2003 to approve the route — including the 30-acre Blundelstown interchange which will be floodlit day and night — only to decide early the following year to refuse planning permission for a golf club in the same area as it would be “visually intrusive in this sensitive landscape”.

Yes, you read all that correctly.

The motorway wouldn’t likely be the end of the desecration either, as they usually lead to attendant development and property developers bought land along the proposed route in the years just before the Government gave the decision to proceed.

Once this piece of vandalism is perpetrated the damage obviously cannot be undone.

This should be a major issue in the general election and worthy of serious consideration by anyone who cares about the preservation of our unique landscape and archaeological heritage.

David Marlborough

Kenilworth Park

Dublin 6W