New roads lead to cultural ruin

AS an archaeologist working until very recently at the Carrickmines Castle site, I can confirm the dig is to be terminated at the end of this month to facilitate building of the south eastern motorway extension, despite the fact our work is far from complete.

Although it was a great privilege working on this richly important site, it deeply saddened me to see the political nature of the situation and witness the bulldozing of the surrounding area due to construction work. It is now a tragedy that the castle at Carrickmines will suffer a similar fate to that of the farms, cottages and countryside, seized through compulsory purchase, which stood in the way of the new road.

Supposedly, obliteration of the historical fabric of the country is the wish of the people. Indeed, rhetoric on signs across the country suggests such work is: “Your Plan, Your Future”.