Construction begins at Tara, under news blackout

meath | history and heritage | news report

Tuesday March 27, 2007 10:07

by Sickened - The Irish nation

The strange part is that the news blackout is by the 'protestors'. What's the story?

Yesterday morning, up to SIAC Construction 50 workers, with heavy machinery began full scale demolition of everything above ground at Tara. While reports were made onthe Campaign to Save Tara mailing list, no call went out for support, and no news report was made, even to Indymedia. What is going on at Tara?

SIAC Construction Depot on Race Track Road

Like it says on the label, "Indymedia is a democratic newswire" Events and news, which the people of Ireland have a right to know about and which are often suppressed by the mainstream media, are given a forum. In the case of Tara, we have seen Indymedia be used consistently over the last six months to promote savetara.com. Now, with the bulldozers finally rolling at Tara, there is not a word.

Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed a marked change. On March 16, when cries went out that the souterrain complex at Roestown, just north of Dunshaughlin, had been dismantled, we got no news report from savetara until somebody else put it here.
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/81529 These works would have been going on for days, right on the edge of the N3, and yet nobody said anything.

At noon yesterday, the following report was made to savetara.com mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/savetara/message/1587:

Hi all,
I've been talking to the Vigil people. There is huge activity at Lismullin as far as Rath Lugh. Massive diggers, topsoil being removed as far as the finds, spoil heaps being moved, all land being cleared, finds: bronze age potter, cremation pits everywhere, flints, mushy charcoal, human bones exposed, glass beads, bagged human bones, keyhole furnaces, metal pins and nails. I've talked to an archaeologist - if any one is available who knows the score, Paula for example, would you please visit? They have 50 working there, they are in a huge rush, I'm ringing the museum now.
Muireann

And almost 24 hours later there is still no report here.

Then later last night, the following statement was made on the same mailing list:

The Campaign to Save Tara intends to mount a political campaign for the upcoming General Election in Ireland that is due in May/June 2007. We consider this to be the final opportunity to Save Tara. With that in mind, the Campaign is mounting a fundraising effort to finance this endeavour.

Just to explain the background of this particular grouping - the Campaign to Save Tara is a voluntary group who have come together to
raise the issue of the route of the M3 through the Gabhra (Tara-Skryne) Valley during the general election, which is scheduled to take place in May of this year. This body is an amalgam of many disparate groups, some have been involved for a very long time and others have only just joined the campaign – myself, many members of the old Save the TaraSkryne Valley Group, those involved in the Vigil on the Hill since June 2006 and the newer Save Tara Valley Group. The organisation that is run by Vincent Salafia, Tarawatch, has withdrawn from this wider umbrella grouping.

We will be using a number of methods to raise awareness over the next few months. We believe a majority of the people of Co. Meath want the motorway re-routed and should to be offered the opportunity to express this view in a democratic way. The only independent survey carried out on this issue, by RedC, showed that 2 out of 3 people wanted the motorway rerouted out of the Gabhra Valley. The re-routing option has been supported by Sinn Féin and the Labour Party with the Green Party proposing to abandon the M3 entirely.

We also intend that all issues relating to the motorway, such as transport problems, lack of proper planning, car dependency, lack of
local employment and environmental concerns are at the top of the local political agenda. We will be dropping leaflets into as many houses as possible in the two Meath constituencies. Allied with this we hope to set up a stall and/or talks in the evening in the town in which we drop the leaflets. Education and information on the history and stories of Tara allied with the possible alternatives would be the focus of these talks.

Now, we need to raise an election fund to help us to carry out this campaign and I am turning to you again in the hope that you can find a
way to help. Any donation, no matter how small, is very welcome. If you are uncomfortable donating cash to the campaign, perhaps you would be willing to pay some of our printing costs. We can arrange to put you in direct contact with our printers.

I am giving the banking details but also you can simply send any donations to me personally as many of you know me. I will acknowledge your donations personally and with your permission we can mention your name as a subscriber and supporter of our campaign.

In the last number of days it appears that a significant cemetery site has been discovered at Lismullin and this awaits official onfirmation. It would be appalling if this were to be destroyed as has been the case with the well-publicised site at Roestown. So now we know that the road will destroy the ancient, historic character of the area. Commercial developments will mushroom along the road and at the massive interchanges. Any chance of World Heritage Site status will be lost and with it a unique opportunity to develop sustainable local employment. If this road goes ahead it cannot be reversed. It must be re-routed away from the Valley.

You can now understand the urgency of our request to fund our political campaign. This General Election is the last realistic opportunity for Tara. All other options have been exhausted. The estimated cost of printing for flyers etc. is €10,000 and we will require €3,000
shortly as a deposit for the printer who is doing us an excellent deal and cutting costs to the bare minimum as a measure of his support for the cause of Tara. Perhaps you could pass this message on to your friends and colleagues in your University and ask them for a contribution as well, no matter how small or large. Again, I want to thank you for your support.

Yours
Dr Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin

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The important thing about all this is that there is no protest called. There is nothing to tell the world or Ireland that construction has begun. Surely that is the whole purpose of having a campaign? Does anyone want to protest?