Press Release. Campaign to Save Tara,
1st October 2007, 15:30.
1st October 2007, 15:30.
Minister places preservation order on Rath Lugh
The Campaign to Save Tara welcomes the decision of Minister John Gormley to place a preservation order on Rath Lugh in the Gabhra Valley at Tara. Rath Lugh is a defensive, promontory outpost of Tara and will be severely impacted by the proposed route of the M3. The Campaign had warned of the impending danger to the Rath in January when heavy machinery was used to fell trees in the area between Lismullin and Rath Lugh - before the NRA discovered that there was a national monument there. This made visible the track of the motorway and its proximity to the huge monument. The NRA were warned during the Oral Hearing of the possible danger to the Rath.
The area under Rath Lugh is an esker consisting of sand and gravel formed in the ice age, a very unstable substance on which to build such a road.
Originally, the NRA maintained that the road would be 100metres away from the Rath but recent surveys and work done by the NRA show that it will be within 20 metres - posing a serious threat to the stability of the monument and the esker.
This development shows that the claims of those opposed to this route were correct. There should never have been an attempt to drive a motorway through this incredibly sensitive archaeological area - Tara's landscape.
Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin said: "The support for the Campaign is growing - this was clearly demonstrated at the recent equinox event when 1,500 people gathered to form a huge human harp on Tara for the international artist, John Quigley. With climate change a frightening reality, it is madness to persist in building motorways instead of public transport".
ENDS
Media queries:
Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
Tel: 087-9249510
E-Mail: info@savetara.com
Web site: http://www.savetara.com
Related Articles:
Aerial photos of Rath Lugh (taken in April). Please credit Paula Geraghty.
Statement DoEH&LG - Minister places preservation order on Rath Lugh.