Tara falls to a powerful alliance

IN the David v Goliath struggle to protect the 5,000-year-old Tara landscape from a section of the M3 tolled motorway, it would seem that Goliath has won, at least for now.

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?