Tara and the M3 motorway
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Madam - The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland notes
the commitment of this Government to the enshrinement of
Tara at the present Expo in Japan (The Irish Times, April
30th.). How fortunate for the Japanese, and other
visitors to Expo, to be able to view images of this
unique site. What should be their experience should they
ever come to Ireland to see the site and monuments for
themselves?
It is not yet too late for the Minister for the
Environment to be courageous in the matter of the
proposed road through the greater Tara-Skryne valley.
More than 100 years ago this society campaigned
vigorously to have ill-considered excavations by the
British Israelites on the Hill of Tara stopped. On that
occasion the digging ceased and the site was preserved.
It would be a scandal if Tara were now to be sacrificed
in the interests of short-term progress.
The society further urges the Minister to declare the
greater Tara-Skryne valley an area of outstanding
national and international significance and to grant it
the same degree of protection as is afforded to the Boyne
Valley.
The cases of Woodstown and Tara highlight the potential
for conflict between the perceived development needs of
the country and the need to preserve, document and
research our physical heritage as represented by the many
thousand archaeological sites in the country. This
society calls on the Minister to ensure that planning,
development and cultural policies preserve our rich
archaeological heritage for present and future
generations of researchers and for the enjoyment and
education of the public.
If this is not done, future generations will castigate us
as cultural vandals in the same way as we look back in
amazement at some of the "improvement" actions of
previous generations.
Yours, etc,
Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland,
AIDEEN IRELAND,
President,
Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland,
Merrion Square,
Dublin 2.
© The Irish Times, 5th. May 2005.
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