- to harp on about Hill of Tara
By - Fiach Kelly.
Hollywood stars Stuart Townsend and Jonathan
Rhys Meyers were among the 1200 who gathered at the Hill
of Tara yesterday to support the campaign to stop the M3
motorway being built through the Tara valley - and to
form the world's first human Harp.Townsend who has been involved in the Save Tara campaign for over three years, told the Irish Daily Mail that he was delighted with the attendance at the event.
"We were hoping for a turnout of 500, but 1200 turned up. It was amazing", he said. "There were families here and people from all walks of life".
"I think it caught the imagination of a lot of people. There was a real celebration atmosphere".
As part of Tara Heritage Day, the crowd lay down and created the shape of a giant Harp as a preservation message.
The event was directed by aerial artist John Quigley and organised by Spectral Q, who have put on similar displays in London and New York.
But not everyone was impressed by the demonstration. "What's going on is a load of nonsense", said local Fianna Fáil councilor James Mangan. "The work being done on the M3 is there to be seen. People have a right to protest, but the motorway is badly wanted by those who live in Meath."
It is needed to get access to the county. We have suffered from a lack of inward investment and this will help us rectify that. I see it is as not just infrastructure for Meath but for the whole of the north-west".
However, those against the M3, including Townsend, say that Co. Meath can get important new infrastructure and still save the Tara valley.
The "About Adam" star said: "People don't want to sit in traffic, but if the motorway goes through as planned there will be a serious effect on tourism".
"I would encourage everyone to read the Meath MASTER Plan devised by transport researcher Brian Guckian and environmental campaigner Tadgh Crowley. Under the Plan, the M3 will continue until just north of Dunshaughlin and the be replaced by a 2+1 system".
The 2+1 road system consists of two lanes of traffic going in one direction and one lane going in the opposite direction, alternating every 2 kilometers to allow for overtaking.
The system has been used before in Ireland, but the National Roads Authority abandoned it because dual carriageways are more cost effective.
© Daily Mail, 24th. September 2007.
Photo: Paula Geraghty.
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