M3 not to stop Tara
- getting world status, says Gormley
By - Tim O'Brien.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said he
does not see the planned M3 motorway in Co. Meath
preventing the Hill of Tara from being nominated as a
world heritage site. Tim O'Brien reports.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the legal incorporation of
the Irish branch of the International Council on
Monuments and Sites, Mr. Gormley said that while he had
"always been personally opposed to the route of the M3",
he believed it would be possible to take a series of
initiatives to preserve the Gabhra Valley between the
Hill of Tara and the Hill of Skryne.
The initiatives - which are to be a series of national
rather than county-based preservation orders - would
prevent "commercial spread" alongside the motorway, the
Minister said. He also said a directive would be put in
place to provide landscape protection.
Mr. Gormley commented that with these measures in place
Tara could still meet the strict criteria for
incorporation on the list of UN world heritage sites.
Such criteria rely heavily on natural or man-made
heritage being well preserved.
Mr. Gormley said he was conscious that the International
Council on Monuments and Sites counted among its number
about 7,600 heritage conservation professionals from 106
countries around the world.
The Irish branch numbers about 100 and Mr. Gormley said
he was particularly grateful for their assistance and
support to his department in its heritage role.
Referring to the review of the tentative list of proposed
world heritage sites, Mr. Gormley spoke of his desire to
include the Hill of Tara national monument in
particular.
He said his department had engaged Dr. Jukka Jokilehto, a
Finnish-born conservation expert, to visit Tara and the
other sites currently on what is known as the "tentative
list" for inclusion.
Mr. Gormley said Dr. Jokilehto had "concluded that the
Hill of Tara National monument has strong merit for
inclusion in an application to UNESCO for consideration
as a world heritage site".
"He did not see the proposed new road as being an
obstacle to making this recommendation", the Minister
said.
Mr. Gormley also said the formulation of a National
Landscape Strategy was a "key commitment for me within
the programme for government, and I am eager to
kick-start a broad consultative process to drive forward
the preparation of this strategy".
He said he would be asking a steering group to propose
that the Tara Skryne area be designated as a landscape
conservation area. His department had already held
discussions with Meath County Council about this.
Meath County Council has previously given a commitment
that land around the motorway in the sensitive area of
the Gabhra Valley would not be rezoned for industrial or
commercial uses.
However, opponents of the road said this would be
particularly difficult to apply in the vicinity of
motorway junctions and they pointed out that the Tara Na
Ri interchange at Blundlestown is about one mile from the
hill itself.
World class: our outstanding sites
Ireland has three UNESCO world heritage sites:
The main prehistoric sites of the Brú na
Bóinne complex, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, which
are situated on the north bank of the river Boyne 50km
north of Dublin.
The monastic complex at Skellig Michael , Co Kerry. This
monastic complex, perched on the steep sides of a rocky
island, dates from the seventh century. Because of its
location about 12km off the coast the site is well
preserved.
The Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast , Co. Antrim. The
Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs on
the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is
made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns
sticking out of the sea. Geological studies over the last
300 years show the striking landscape was caused by
volcanic activity some 50-60 million years ago.
In addition the department has prepared a "tentative
list" of another eight candidate sites. The list
includes: the Burren; the Rock of Cashel; the Ceide
Fields; Clara Bog in Co. Offaly; the Monastic settlement
at Clonmacnoise; Killarney National Park; Northwest Mayo
Boglands; Western Stone Forts.
To be included on the world heritage list, sites must be
of outstanding universal value in either man-made or
natural heritage terms.
© The Irish Times, 11th. April 2008.
Related Articles:
M3
"won't derail" Tara heritage bid.
UNESCO Heritage Website.
