Bertie goes his own way on the M3

IN the light of the hullabaloo surrounding Tara and M3, perhaps it’s perhaps timely to examine some of Taoiseach’s remarks in the past regarding the whole issue of heritage in this country.

While in opposition, Bertie Ahern stated nobly: “It is imperative that no more of our irreplaceable national heritage be destroyed because of political inertia”. (1996).

While Taoiseach he’s on record as being put out about major road projects being held up “because of swans, snails and the occasional person hanging out of a tree” and, in specific reference to Tara, he made the asinine observation, in November 2004, that he’d stood on the route and “couldn’t even see the hill from there”.

Two months later, he compounded his ignorance by stating that the Tara/M3 controversy was merely “a row about who was there 5,000 years ago” and he didn’t know the inhabitants but asserted that they must have been “very significant people”.

Then, in March 2005, he replied to those expressing reservations about the proposed M3 route with the admission that he didn’t wish to upset Tara’s kings and “if I had known they were there, I would’ve gone around them”.

Hardly the epitome of erudition and about as incredible and inconsistent as his denials and obfuscation regarding the Mahon Tribunal’s investigation into his rather singular financial affairs.

David Marlborough

103 Kenilworth Park

Dublin 6W