Road-builders chip away at the edges of a revered old fort

MUCH has been written about the effects the proposed M3 will have on the Hill of Tara, but little about the effects it will have on the other monuments in the Gabhra Valley.

On August 7, after observing a protest at the Lismullen henge, I visited Rath Lugh, just across the valley. This old and revered fort was named after Lugh, the solar deity of ancient Ireland who gave his name to Lughnasa, the month of August. It was also the base of Na Fianna Éireann — the mystical warrior band set up to protect Tara.

The new road cuts between the Rath and the Gabhra-Gowra river which was the scene of their last great battle against a corrupt high king in 280 AD.