Press Release. Save Tara campaign, 26th. February 2008, 21:00.

Save Tara campaign writes to Ministers Gormley and Dempsey
- about Rath Lugh and environs

The Save Tara campaign has written to Ministers Gormley and Dempsey regarding the urgent situation at Lismullin in the Gabhra Valley on the route of the M3. For three days protesters have been protecting a souterrain and Rath Lugh from the NRA and the construction companies, SIAC/Ferrovial.

Save Tara have asked the Minister if he intends to make the preservation on Rath Lugh permanent and that he send archaeologists and an independent civil engineer to the area as a matter of extreme urgency. The archaeologists should mark the Temporary Preservation Order clearly on the landscape with a fence or similar structure. They are also asking that the civil engineer should consider a suitable safety buffer zone to take account of the unstable esker that forms part of the foundation of Rath Lugh.

Save Tara also drew attention to the fact that the NRA listed 18 named monuments as being within 500m of the road take. These are quite separate from the 38 sites that have already been excavated and destroyed. Rath Lugh is one of these 18 monuments and it is now known that the coordinates for the Rath were incorrect. It has come to light that the location and proximity of a souterrain has been underestimated by the NRA and it is now within 7m of the road take of the slip road at Lismullin. The minister has been requested to place a preservation order on this souterrain.

Save Tara is also asking that all these 18 monuments are revisited and their coordinates rechecked and that the NRA stop all work in these locations until such an examination is completed.

Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin said: "The construction company is threatening to slice away the entire slope at Rath Lugh that faces the route of the M3. The removal of huge trees in the past year has made this area very unsteady and if the esker is further interfered with it will become dangerously unstable. This will have a detrimental effect on the fort of Rath Lugh".

Monuments within 500m of M3 road take - see Page 5.
Report on Lismullin - see Page 8.
Video Footage of defensive action at Rath Lugh, 25th. February.
Statement from Save Tara - 22nd. February.

ENDS

Media queries:
Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
Tel: 087-9249510
E-Mail: info@savetara.com
Web site: http://www.savetara.com