Tara falls to a powerful alliance
Given the vested interests that dominate 21st century Ireland, was there ever any other possible outcome?
For how could an education campaign conducted by unresourced voluntary groups, civic minded individuals and courageous academics (albeit backed up by the weight of expert archaeological and historical opinion, national and worldwide) ever hope to succeed in persuading for the reconsideration of a fundamentally flawed and costly planning decision which had the might of political, business, developer and institutional interests (and a seemingly endless amount of taxpayers’ money) behind it?
Eighteen months after An Bord Pleanála’s decision, and almost nine months after Meath Co Council and the NRA finally revealed the extent of the archaeology that had been uncovered by their testing (still the tip of the iceberg), the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dick Roche, has issued directions for the excavation of upwards of 38 archaeological sites between Dunshaughlin and Navan in order to pave the way for a motorway to cut through Ireland’s premier cultural landscape.
The minister says that his directions “protect heritage” and “do not deny the people of Meath and the surrounding counties the modern transport infrastructure that they need.” He also states that “heritage protection remains a priority in this area.”
We respectfully disagree. Our heritage is not being protected; it has in effect been downgraded at every stage in this planning process, and in taking the advice of the NRA and ignoring the expert heritage evidence, the minister has only compounded the initial error.
In effect, a uniquely important and ancient landscape which has been handed down to us intact has been sacrificed not in the best interests of Meath’s commuters, communities or future development, but in the interests of protecting a private/public partnership contract.
A vast amount of taxpayers’ money will now be poured into rescue excavations that could and should have been avoided in this area.
Sprawl development in the vicinity of Tara will follow, despite the minister’s aspirations, and at the end of the day the people of Meath are denied the integrated and well-planned transport solution, including the rail link to Navan and Kells, that we so badly need and which the majority of those who turned out in the recent by-election actually voted for.
Julitta Clancy
Assistant Secretary
Meath Archaeological and Historical Society
Parsonstown
Batterstown
Co Meath
