OPW in move to remove Hill of
Tara "squatters"
By - John Donohoe.
THE Office of Public Works (OPW) has served a formal
notice to quit on what it has described as "squatters" on
the Hill of Tara this week.
Minister of State at the OPW, Noel Ahern, has told Meath
East TD Thomas Byrne the move is being made in response
to concerns of local people that damage was being done to
the hill by M3 motorway protestors living in camps
there.
Mr. Ahern said that the OPW had "become increasingly
concerned at the proliferation of squatters on the Hill
of Tara, and particularly at the increase in tents and
other shelters which have been placed on the monument and
its immediate surroundings".
Mr. Ahern said that fires are lit regularly and heavy
timbers are being brought onto the site. "All of this
activity is damaging to the surface of the national
monument and its unique features", Mr. Ahern added in a
letter to Meath East TD, Deputy Thomas Byrne.
"We have been endeavouring to persuade the people
concerned that they should stop their activities and
leave the site, but, so far, to no avail", he added.
The minister said that, on Friday 14th. March last, the
OPW issued a formal notice to quit to anybody that they
found on-site when their staff visited. The notice made
it clear that if the people now occupying the site did
not leave within seven days, the OPW would take further
action to ensure that the site is vacated and the
monument protected.
"During this period, we are keeping the situation under
close watch and are fully prepared to go to law if
necessary to move the squatters off the site if they do
not comply with the notice", Mr. Ahern said.
This week a spokesperson for the OPW said that it hoped
the people involved would move of their own volition, and
that they would not have to go down the legal route and
obtain an injunction.
Deputy Byrne welcomed the move and said that local
heritage needed to be protected.
"The local people, as well as politicians, were growing
increasingly concerned at damage being done to the hill",
Deputy Byrne said. "It is ironic that those claiming to
be protecting it are actually damaging it further,
particularly as it is obvious at this stage that the
motorway is not going near the monument", he said.
At the weekend, Lisa "Squeak" Feeney, who had hidden in a
tunnel dug by anti-M3 protestors along the motorway route
for almost a week at Lismullin last month, said that she
plans to resume her protest and that there are more
tunnels in existence on Rath Lugh, near Skryne.
Meanwhile, in Brussels last week, Meath Archaeological
and Historical Society made a presentation on the M3
issue to the European Parliament Committee on
Petitions.
Assistant secretary of the society, Martin Dier,
delivered a slide presentation and presented a written
submission compiled by Julitta Clancy containing a number
of observations and recommendations, as well as detailed
responses to the Petitions Committee report following
their visit to Tara last year, and the Commission`s reply
to the MAHS petition of June 2005.
© The Meath Chronicle, 12th. April 2008.
Related Articles:
"Squeak" set to resume her Tara tunnel protest.
MAHS Presentation to EU Petitions
Committee.
Full Report of EU Petitions
Committee.
