Recent incidents in Mayo have highlighted the Irish media's biased reporting
against anti-pipeline protesters. This video presents a brief analysis of these
reports.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f986dolER2w

http://mythsmasher.blogspot.com/2007/07/ron-paul-on-property-rights-
eminent.html

Most of the land used for the M3 motorway was taken from private land
owner under Ireland's CPO legislation. Without the government having
given themselves those powers the construction of the M3 through the
Gabhra Valley would have been an impossibility.

Eminent Domain is the American term for CPOing. Amd these powers will
be used to strip thousands of U.S., Mexican and Canadian citizens of
their right to own property, as it happened to the land owners in Co.
Meath and in Carrickmines, Co. Dublin, to clear the way for the
construction of the NAFTA super highway. (See link above, Ron Paul on
property rights).

If we want to protect our environment, archaeological heritage or
property rights from further government onslaughts either in Ireland,
the U.S. or elsewhere, then we have to start fighting CPO
legislation. It's too late unfortunately for Tara, but if we keep
fighting this legislation based on a vague interpretation of property
rights in the Irish and the U.S. Constitution, then we can prevent
another Tara or Carrickmines from happening in the future.

If you own a house or a bit of land, then your property rights are
being threatened by your own government.

I really would like to get a discussion going in here about this
threat to our natural environment, archaeological heritage and basic
civil rights in the hope of forming a broad resistance against CPO /
Eminent Domain legislation.

Michael Martin

"The Navan to Dublin railway project looks to be dead in the water
after it was revealed that one of two key bridges along the M3
protecting the route is not being built.

Site visits by the Meath Post to both locations at Pace (Dunboyne) and
Cannistown (Navan) has revealed that whilst the bridge protecting the
railway at Dunboyne is being constructed, the bridge south of Navan is
not, and the M3 is now being built directly across the railway alignment.

News of this missing bridge and its impact on the Navan Dublin railway
project is likely to be met with anger by Meath's commuters.

However Iarnród Éireann claim that the NRA have factored in the
problem and will build embankments to allow the railway to go ahead.

During the planning process for the M3 in 2003, concerns were raised
by Iarnród Éireann that reopening of the Navan Dublin railway would be
made too costly if M3 planners were allowed cut the former railway
line in two by running the M3 through it without first building a bridge.

Local railway campaigners, using information from Iarnród Éireann,
succeeded in obtaining the insertion of two railway bridges in the M3
plans to protect efforts to reopen the railway.

Under order of An Bord Pleanála, Meath County Council drew up plans
for one bridge at Dunboyne to protect the former railway line, and
another at Cannistown just south of Navan.

As recently as 2006, Meath County Council planning office insisted
that both bridge plans remained on file and that the Navan Dublin
railway line was being protected.

An Bord Pleanála's ruling stated that a bridge to allow the railway
pass beneath the M3 similar to the Dunboyne bridge should be
constructed at Cannistown. The instruction was that unless Iarnród
Éireann indicated that they intended following a new rail route for at
this section then the bridge as designed should be inserted.

To run the line over the motorway would take an enormous effort and
massive cost, with a 26 foot embankment required to run for kilometres
on either side of the M3 to allow the railway pass above the motorway.

As late as last month, Iarnród Éireann indicated that this section of
the former line was being retained, but the evidence in this
photograph shows this has not happened.

Despite this, a spokeswoman told the Meath Post that the NRA are aware
of their responsibilities.

"The (the NRA) are going to make provision and embankments will be
built that will allow the railway to go ahead". "

Source:

Meath Post, 12th. July 2008 via SaveTara:
http://www.savetara.com/articles/2008/071208_dead.html

Happy World Environment Day

PLEASE SIGN THE NEW SAVE TARA UNESCO PETITION ONLINE (Text below)
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savetara/index.html

TaraWatch is celebrating UN World Environment Day 2008, with an
online
version the new Tara UNESCO / ICOMOS petition, being launched on the
Internet today. The petition calls on the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and International
Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to declare the Hill of Tara
cultural landscape a World Heritage Site, but to insist that the M3
motorway is rerouted first.

Social network applications like myspace and facebook causes will be
heavily used to promote it. The new myspace SAVE TARA Cause Ranked
1st
among new Environment causes in new members yesterday.
http://www.causes.com/myspace/causes/71127?recruiter_id=6916545

This follows on from the successful launch of the SAVE TARA facebook
cause, which already has over 2,800 members.
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/827?recruiter_id=6916545

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of
the
principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates
worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political
attention
and action. It is only fitting that we in turn launch our campaign
today, calling on them to act to save Tara.
http://www.unep.org/wed/2008/english/

=============================================================

TARA / M3 MOTORWAY - UNESCO / ICOMOS PETITION ONLINE
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savetara/index.html

THIS PETITION is addressed to: The United Nations educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which includes:
• The Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura
• The Executive Committee of the General Conference
• The Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage, called the World eritage Committee
(hereinafter referred to as the "Committee")
• All parties in attendance at the 32nd Session of the World Heritage
Committee, Quebec, Canada, 2-10 July 2008.
• The Irish UNESCO Representatives

AND The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which
includes:

• ICOMOS International
• ICOMOS Ireland
• All other national ICOMOS bodies, such as ICOMOS Canada, UK, US,
Australia, Norway, and Aotearoa/New Zealand
• All parties in attendance at the ICOMOS Ireland AGM, Dublin, 4 June
2008
• All parties in attendance at the Sixth World Archaeological
Congress,
University College Dublin, 29th June to 4th July 2008

WHOSE JURISDICTIONS have been jointly invoked in this matter of great
national and international importance by the Minister for the
Environment, Heritage and Local overnment, of the Republic of
Ireland,
John Gormley, on 11 May, 2008, in his address at the launch of the
legal incorporation and charitable status designation of ICOMOS
Ireland. He announced that he had retained an ICOMOS member, Dr Jukka
Jokilehto to visit the sites currently on Ireland's tentative list,
as
well as the Hill of Tara. Minister Gormley concluded:

"The Hill of Tara National Monument has strong merit for inclusion in
an application to UNESCO for consideration as a World Heritage site",
and that he did "... not see the proposed new road (the M3 motorway)
as being an obstacle to making this recommendation."

I EARNESTLY AND RESPECTFULLY PLEAD THAT:

I. The Hill of Tara archaeological complex / cultural and natural
landscape, in it's entirety, (hereinafer referred to as "Tara") be
inscribed onto the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites.

BUT ONLY on condition that:

II. The proposed M3 motorway, (hereinafter referred to as "the M3")
currently under construction, is re-routed beyond Tara, before the
site
is given World Heritage Site status, because he M3 is destroying the
integrity of the site and landscape.

I MAKE THIS PETITION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

- UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the
World
Cultural and Natural Heritage ("The Convention") in 1972. Ireland
ratified the Convention in 1991. The Convention has as its goal the
identification and protection of cultural and national heritage of
"outstanding universal value".

- The Hill of Tara complex qualifies as a natural and cultural
landscape of outstanding universal value, due to it's unique cultural
significance, and the extent of the surviving remains. Tara covers a
much larger area than that the 100 acres of State-owned land on the
summit of the Hill, which currently delimits the 'national monument'.
The M3 passes through the middle of the area to be protected.

- The entire Tara archaeological complex and cultural/natural
landscape
should be declared a World Heritage site. Expert bodies, such as the
Heritage Council, have recognised Tara consists of the entire Hill of
Tara along with the Tara / Skryne valley, as well as the defensive
forts that encircle the hill, including national monuments such as
the
defensive forts of Rath Lugh (to the east), Rath Miles (to the north)
and Ringlestown Rath (to the west).

- Ireland has been in breach of the Convention since 1991, by failing
to nominate the Hill of Tara to be a World Heritage site, until after
the M3 motorway was approved. Article 3 of the Convention states: "It
is for each State Party to this Convention to identify and delineate
the different properties situated on its territory". A recent UN
report
on Ireland's implementation of the Convention found
that "Inventories,
established at national and local levels, have not been used as a
basis
for selecting World Heritage sites". This has resulted in the
contradictory approach being taken by the Irish Government, which is
on
one hand facilitating destruction of significant parts of the Tara
complex, and on the other, seeking International legal protection for
those same parts.

- The Minister for the Environment, has breached his responsibilities
under the Convention by initiating the inscription process of making
Tara a World Heritage site, while at the same time, failing in his
legal duty adequately protect the Tara complex from the immient
threat
of the M3 motorway. John Gormley, said in a department press release,
11 April 2008, that he did not see M3 motorway preventing the Hill of
Tara from being nominated as a world heritage site. He said his
department had engaged Dr Jukka Jokilehto, a member of ICOMOS to
visit
Tara and issue a report on it. It is these statements and actions
that
have as well as other failures to act, that have invoked the
jurisdiction of international law.

- ICOMOS is an international non-governmental organization of
professionals, dedicated to the conservation of the world's historic
monuments and sites, and is an offical Advistory Body to UNESCO, for
purposes of implementing the World Heritage Convention. Both UNESCO
and
ICOMOS would also be in breach of the Convention by accepting the
Minister's nomination of the Tara archaeological complex and
cultural/natural landscape, without insisting that the M3 motorway is
rerouted, while it still can be.

- National survey's have shown that 70% of Irish people want the M3
rerouted and an Irish Times online survey showed that 82% of people
want Tara declared a UNESCO site.

- The World Monuments Fund have placed the Hill of Tara on the 2008
List of 100 Most Endangered Sites.

SIGNED

_______________________________



[Published by TaraWatch.org, 4 June 2008]

=====================================================

For more information see:

UNESCO
http://whc.unesco.org/en/about/

ICOMOS
http://www.icomos.org

Statement by Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local
overnment, of the Republic of Ireland, John Gormley, on 11 May, 2008,
http://www.environ.ie/en/Heritage/Archaeology-
NationalMonumentsService/News/Main\
Body,17071,en.htm



Save the Hill of Tara from the M3 Motorway!
http://www.tarawatch.org

please circulate!

FRIENDS OF MEDIEVAL DUBLIN

10th Medieval Dublin Symposium 2008:
http://www.fmd.ie/symposia/symposium-2008.html
Saturday 24 May 2008
Robert Emmet Theatre (Room 2037), Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin

(ADMISSION FREE: ALL WELCOME: NO ADVANCE BOOKING REQUIRED)

09.30: Registration and opening remarks
SEÁN DUFFY

09.45: The bank, the ditch, and the water: Hiberno-Norse evidence from Hammond
Lane Phase 2
SINÉAD PHELAN

10. 30: Prosopography and philanthropy: a study of the benefactors of the
Hospital of St John the Baptist, Dublin
GRACE O’KEEFFE

11.10 Tea / coffee

11.30: A pre-Viking riverside revetment at Islandbridge: excavations on the site
of Clancy Barracks
KEVIN LOHAN

12.10: The Tyrel brothers: outlaws in fourteenth-century Dublin
ÁINE FOLEY

12.45: Lunch

14.00: Bride Street revisited: Viking burial in Dublin and beyond
STEPHEN HARRISON

14.40 “Disgusting Street”: a semi-aquatic excavation in medieval Dublin
ALAN HAYDEN

15.20: Tea / coffee

15. 40: Early Christian and medieval excavations at Teach Naithí: the changing
morphology of a church site in Dundrum
EDMUND O’DONOVAN

16.20: Roskilde to Dublin: the voyage of the SEA STALLION
TRÍONA NICHOLL

For further information, contact sduffy@... or telephone (01) 8961801


--
Dr Seán Duffy
Department of History
School of Histories and Humanities
Trinity College
Dublin 2
IRELAND
Tel: +35318961801
http://people.tcd.ie/sduffy

Dear Michael,

As Bertie Ahern has now announced that he will resign on May 6th,
Libertas calls for the Irish people to vote No to Lisbon in order to
give the new Taoiseach a mandate to negotiate a better deal for
Ireland to keep a strong voice at the heart of Europe. The referendum
in June gives us the opportunity to do just that.

We encourage all our supporters to write to their local newspapers and
call into local radio stations to encourage readers and listeners to
do just that.

As you are probably aware, we have now launched our campaign against
the Lisbon Treaty with a series of billboard advertisements and a
full-page advert in the Sunday Independent outlining our objections to
the Treaty.

Our recent press releases can be found on the website www.libertas.org
together with our analysis of the case against the Lisbon Treaty from
a business and economic perspective.

In the coming weeks we will be announcing a series of public meetings
throughout the country where we will outline the facts of the Treaty,
answer questions and the reasons it must be opposed in the forthcoming
referendum

We will circulate this list of dates and venues when they are
confirmed and we would encourage our supporters to volunteer to
publicise these meetings, to attend them where possible and also to
write to their local newspapers and call their local radio stations to
raise their concerns about the Treaty.

We are also actively fundraising and would encourage supporters to
contribute any amount – from €5 to €5,000, either via the Paypal
facility on the website or cheque by post.

Following are some of Libertas' core arguments on the Treaty, please
feel free to use these to talk to friends and family about the Treaty
or to write to the local newspapers or contact local radio stations.

1. Democracy Undermined

a) Instead of addressing the democratic deficit acknowledged in the
Laeken Declaration, the Lisbon Treaty copper fastens the privileged
position of the unaccountable political elite in Brussels without
giving European citizens the opportunity to give the deal any
legitimacy through their hard-won vote.
b) A President and Foreign Minister for Europe will be appointed by
the Commission and will be neither elected by the citizens of Europe
nor accountable to them at the ballot box. The terms and conditions of
these powerful positions will not even be set out until after the
Treaty is ratified.
c) The European Parliaments gain of co-decision powers with the
Council is at the huge expense of national parliaments through the
removal of the veto. Parliaments gain just two extra weeks to study
the huge volumes of legislation which emanate from Brussels.
d) Parliaments gain merely the ability to complain to the Commission
if they feel it is overstepping the mark and must do so by voting
against their governments across a number of member states
simultaneously.

2. Ireland's Voice in Europe Weakened

a) Ireland's voting weight in the Council is reduced by 60% while that
of Germany is increased by 100% and that of France by 50%,
b) Ireland loses its right to a Commissioner for five out of every 15
years, a vital voice at the table in the institution with the
exclusive right to initiate legislation,
c) Ireland surrenders more than 60 vetoes in policy areas including
immigration and asylum, common commercial policy (including foreign
direct investment), transport, energy and tourism. Vetoes are not a
negative, destructive instrument but rather a crucial trump card in
negotiations,
d) Ireland's number of MEPs is reduced to 12 at the same time as the
European Parliament gains co-decision powers with the Council at the
expense of national parliaments.

3. Ireland's Economy Threatened

a) Under the Common Commercial Policy, Ireland for the first time
gives up the right to legislate in the field of foreign direct
investment, threatening our traditional ability to attract high-value,
technology-focused jobs to this country. The European Commission will
favour other developing states in Europe with its research and
investment incentives.
b) The relegation of the clause committing the EU to "free and
undistorted competition" marks a serious backward step in the
development of the Single Market and opens the door to state
protectionism
c) More powers to the European Commission to legislate and regulate
threatens the competitiveness of the European and Irish economies.
According to a White Paper from the Department of the Taoiseach
"unnecessary EU regulation could have cost Irish business €582
million…"


Kind regards,

Naoise Nunn
Executive Director
The Libertas Institute
Moyne Park
Tuam
Co. Galway
Ireland
Tel: +353 93 43900
Mob: + 353 86 276 1256
Web: www.libertas.org

Information for those who wish to donate money for buying supplies
for those fighting in the frontline against the destruction of
Tara's archaeological landscape in Ireland. Also see
http://tarawatch.org  for updates.

Michael Martin




The following information courtesy of Heather:
  Cheques, Bank Drafts or cash can be lodged to the

Tara Solidarity Vigil Account
Allied Irish Bank
Navan Branch
Sort Code 93-21-83
Account Number 43326084

For International Banking

IBAN: IE96 AIBK 9321 8343 3260 84  (BIC:AIBKIE2D)

According to RTÉ News, there are about 100 protesters at Rath Lugh,
and they have set up camp. Wonderful initiative, everyone.

Claire

Sorry, my previous message should have been posted yesterday but took
a long time to get through.

Claire

Michael Martin (wicklowwolf@...) has sent you a news article.
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:



Smog rule tightened; 345 counties fail - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080312/ap_on_go_ot/dirty_air

============================================================
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/

A statement on behalf of the Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp
(For direct contacts see phone numbers below)

Statement on behalf of the Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp
21st century souterrain


The Protectors at Rath Lugh have planned a Direct Action method used
for
the first time on protest sites in Ireland. They have dug a tunnel
under
the route of the M3 directly in front of the Rath Lugh promontory
fort
in the Gabhra Valley, Co Meath in Ireland.

The Protectors intend to occupy this tunnel and seal themselves
inside
indefinitely to prevent construction traffic from passing overhead.
They
are laying their very lives on the line to protect and preserve
Tara's
landscape from the destruction wrought by their own Government.

The Protectors said: "We want to draw attention to the continued
erosion
of the esker by passing construction traffic, hence damaging the
base
and foundation of the Rath."

This is a continuation of their non-violent direct action. The
tunnel
acts like a souterrain giving the occupant protection and making it
very
difficult for the enemy to enter.


Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp
For further information ring Derek on 086-845 9279 or Lou on 086-
3600478
http://www.tarapixie.net
Link to the video of events 5-6 March at Rath Lugh, Lismullin, Co
Meath
http://www.livevideo.com/video/4819A5371FDA46BAB4A42CA1D60B2A1F/rathl
ugh-down-under.aspx?m_tkc=11224420

--- End forwarded message ---

Hi all,

Michael, I just approved three of your messages, but only two have got
through to the list. The one that didn't was the one about the wolves.

I've been using the blog rather than the mailing list lately, but I'll
post our latest blog entry here.

Best wishes

Claire


http://tara-foundation.org/blog/?p=59

Dangers of Dublin Port Tunnel revealed

Caroline here, with news on the Dublin Port Tunnel.

Last night's Prime Time on RTÉ 1 featured a report on the recent
closures of the Dublin Port Tunnel.

The National Roads Authority plans to sue the contractor KBR as a
result of these closure. The report revealed that there have been
regular technical failures in the tunnel which have not been brought
to light.

     * Last week the SCADA computer system, which monitors cameras,
ventilation and other safety equipment froze for an hour. The Traffic
Safety Procedures Manual for the Tunnel demands that, in the event of
such a failure, the Tunnel must be closed immediately. It remained
open. In insider stated: "It's not about the safety of people, it's
about keeping the Tunnel open at all costs."
     * Last week, the Tunnel remained open despite one of the
ventilation jet fans being broken, another clear violation of the
Safety Manual. In the event of a fire, there would not be sufficient
fans to control the smoke.
     * The company responsible for managing the Tunnel, Transroute,
allowed all vehicles, including petrol tankers, through the Tunnel at
these times, in clear violation of safety guidelines.
     * CCTV footage reveals a driver doing a U-turn and driving in the
wrong direction through the one-way Tunnel. This is particularly
dangerous in the Dublin Port Tunnel, as half of the traffic comprises
Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), which have proven to be three times more
likely to go on fire in tunnels than lighter vehicles.
     * Tunnel safety expert Dr. Alan Beard stated that, with so many
HGVs using the Tunnel, the potential for a serious fire with multiple
fatalities was very real.
     * In the event of such a fire, fans are essential for expelling
smoke and allowing fire fighters to enter. Log books show that fan
failure is a regular occurance, happening three times in February
alone. On Feb. 9, a power surge outed 12 fans in the Northbound and 3
in the Southbound Tunnel. Management ordered the Tunnel to be kept
open; another flagrant violation of safety rules.
     * Log books also show the regular failure of security cameras. The
former Safety Manual demanded that the Tunnel be immediately closed in
such an event, but there were repeated incidents when Transroute
ordered the Tunnel to remain open. The Safety Manual was re-written so
that "at least 3 cameras would have to be broken to necessitate closure."

     * Another safety feature is the 19 pedestrian doors and 4 large
vehicle passageways between the two tunnels. However, 3 of these
passageways are blocked with large containers filled with water. An
insider said that they were too heavy to be moved by anything but a
forklift in case of emergency. Christy Finnerty of the North Strand
Fire Brigade said: "Under the guidelines of Dublin Fire Brigade they
would not be used in any circumstances. In no situation in no way are
they of benefit in fighting a fire."

A surprise? A year ago, our video "Dublin Port Tunnel: The Hidden
History" (http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=HgaKqCxXpuA) raised some
safety concerns about the Tunnel. Please watch, and let us know what
you think.

A chairde

The Tara Foundation is pleased to present our new videos and
presentations. See our Youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tarafoundation

The Importance of Lismullen: the real significance of the National
Monument the government is about to demolish.

The Importance of Bremore: why is the government hell-bent on
developing a new port on the east coast when there are world-class
deep water ports with unexplored potential elsewhere in the country?
Could it be that there is a 6000-year-old monument to be destroyed?

The Phoenix Park: Dublin's next building site?

The Encirclement of Royal Meath: just why will there be several
motorways going through one county? And what about the super prison
and super port being developed close to its borders?

We would be happy to accept your comments.

Claire

All the members of the Tara Foundation would like to wish everyone a
happy Christmas and new year.

Greetings

Claire

December 17th, 2007

     * Megalithic Stone discovered at Tara: A megalithic stone bearing
artwork similar in design to that More Historic Finds Discovered In
Path of M3of Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange in the Boyne Valley has been
discovered in a souterrian being dismantled at Lismullen Henge, near
the Hill of Tara. The Lismullen Henge was in itself the size of a
football pitch, but is being excavated to make way for the M3 motorway
planned to run beside the Hill of Tara, Co. Meath.

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-12-12/62881.html
http://tarawatch.org/?p=582

     * The Lismullen Henge is 2,000 years old, and is now being
demolished, along with an adjacent graveyard at Ardsallagh. The
structure consists consists of two circular enclosures, the largest
80m in diameter. The discovery of the site came a day after a the M3
road project was formally begun. The structure was granted the status
of a national monument, and the roadworks were temporarily halted. The
former Minister for the Environment Dick Roche, signed an order of
preservation by record, which means that the prehistoric monument
would be photographed, sketched and measured before being demolished
to make way for the motorway.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0503/m3.html
http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2007/06/16/story35194.asp

     * A US academic has argued that Lismullen should be fully
preserved due to its unique size and character. Dr. Ronald Hicks of
Ball State University, Indiana, argued that it is part of a larger
ritual complex. He stated that Lismullen is comparable to ceremonial
enclosures found at Tara and other royal sites in Ireland, but is
twice as large as any other. Dr. Hicks states that rather than
Lismullen being a delicate wooden `henge' the site sits in a natural
hollow to form an ancient amphitheatre. That structure is very much
intact, and could and should be preserved entirely.

The Dr. Hicks study directly contradicts many NRA findings and was
fowarded to the EU Commission, who are currently examining whether the
legal basis of the order to demolish the Lismullen Henge is in breach
of EU law.

http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/002505.html
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0821/breaking46.htm

     * A massive 52-acre interchange will be located less than 1
kilometre from the Hill of Tara, at Blundelstown, north of Tara. The
interchange will consist of two giant orbital roundabouts, flyovers, 4
slip roads with adjacent roadways.

http://hilloftara.blogspot.com/2006/02/european-court-of-justice-may-have.html

     * Estimated cost of M3 Motorway to date: between €850 to €1 Billion.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0430/m3.html?rss

     * Four Motorways are now planned for Co. Meath, The Boyne and
Tara/Skreen Valleys

are now under imminent threat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGU2NFEfSd8

     * Construction is to begin early next year upon an incinerator
with a capacity of 200,000 tonnes of waste a year in Carrenstown, Co.
Meath next to the Boyne Valley. The incinerator will have a chimney
stack 65 metres high and will be directly visible from the Boyne Valley.

http://friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/paperstoday/index.php?action=view&id=347
http://www.indaver.ie/meath.html

     * The World Monuments Fund has placed Tara on their Most
Endangered Sites List for 2008.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0606/tara.html
http://www.worldmonumentswatch.org/

Hi everyone,

The redesign of the Tara Foundation website is finally on the web. The
advantage to the new look is that all our articles are much more
accessible and the site as a whole is more navigable.

As of today, the page for sharing interesting Youtube videos (not our
own) is not up, and the Rail and Road facts and news have not been
filled in. However, these should be done by tomorrow.

Any feedback, either on the contact form or via our blog (see the main
page) is appreciated.

Thanks for your patience,

Claire

http://www.tara-foundation.org

Michael Martin (wicklowwolf@...) has sent you a news article.
(Email address has not been verified.)
------------------------------------------------------------
Personal message:



Ireland to protect red squirrels from grey peril - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071118/sc_afp/irelandnirelandnaturesquirrelconserv\
ation_071118201015

============================================================
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/

Hi all,

Great news! The Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, is
placing
a Temporary Preservation Order on Rath Lugh, the national monument
near
Lismullin, that has been damaged by the M3.

This morning, we sent out a press release, based on the
correspondence
between John Farrelly and the Minister. We talked about it on George
Hook at 4.30, and at that stage the best we got was that the Minister
was going to issue a release on the issue in the coming days.

Then later this evening, Frank McDonald in the Irish Times talked to
him and he said he was putting the Order in place.

Well done John Farrelly for keeping the pressure on the Minister
about
Rath Lugh.

Vincent


PRESS RELEASE

TARAWATCH.org

01 October 2007

'Minister Gormley Considering Placing Preservation Order on M3 Site'

John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, is currently considering
placing a Temporary Preservation Order on Rath Lugh, a national
monument being impacted by the M3 motorway, according to an email
sent
by his office last week to a campaigner. (see below)

This indiactes a major shift in policy by the Minister, who has
claimed
that no sites are being improperly interfered with, and that he has
not
power to act.

Mr Farrelly recently wrote to the Minister to complain that the
national monument is being directly impacted, and that the land-take
for the M3 had been expanded at the site.

According to the National Roads Authority, Rath Lugh is not being
impacted. Their web site FAQ number 6 states:

6. Why locate the M3 where it will separate the site of Rath Lugh
from
Tara? http://www.m3motorw ay.ie/FAQ/ #six

In the Discovery Programme publication 'Tara, an Archaeological
Survey', Newman reinterpreted Rath Lugh, an RMP site which lies 2.5km
to the north-east of Tara, as a defensive inland cliff-edge fort,
rather than a ringfort. Newman (1997, 200-206) tentatively proposed
that despite problems of classification and dating it was tempting to
consider is as part of a defensive zone around Tara. Rath Lugh is
today
separated from Tara by the existing N3 and lies under dense
vegetation
and tree cover. It was not possible to route the M3 to the east of
the
site, instead it skirts the base of the elevated promontory on which
Rath Lugh is located, approximately 20m below, and will not interfere
with the site itself or the view of this site from Tara.

Under Section 4 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1954, the
Minister can place a Temporary Preseervation Order, for up to six
months:
http://www.irishsta tutebook. ie/1954/en/ act/pub/0037/ sec0004.html

4.—(1) Where it appears to the Commissioners that a monument which in
their opinion is a national monument is in immediate danger of injury
or destruction the Commissioners may by order (in this Act referred
to
as a temporary preservation order) undertake the preservation of such
monument.

Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:

"This is a very significant statement from the Minister, who is
telling
members of the public that he is actively considering taking decisive
legal action on the M3.

"We know the EU Environment Commission are currently investigating
Rath
Lugh, and that the National Museum have expressed concerns about the
works there.

"Rath Lugh is being directly impacted, as we have told the Minister
all
along. We are delighted he now appears to be finally listening.

ENDS

Contact Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365
John Farrelly: 087-127-6829

EMAIL SENT BY MINISTER TO JOHN FARRELLY

27 September, 2007.

Mr. John Farrelly.

RE: REP2137/JG/07

Dear Mr. Farrelly,

I have been asked by Mr. John Gormley T.D., Minister for the
Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to refer further to your
recent correspondence in connection with the designation of Rath
Lugh.

The position is that the Rath Lugh monument is listed on the
statutory
Record of Monuments and Places for County Meath (RMP Number:
ME032-025). As such, it is afforded protection under the National
Monuments Acts, whereby the Minister must by law be notified two
months
in advance of any proposed works at the site.

Rath Lugh is considered to be a national monument within the
definition
of section 2 of the National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended). It is
understood that it is currently in the ownership of Coillte. The
Minister is currently considering the placing of a Temporary
Preservation Order on the monument.

I trust that this clarifies the position for you.

Yours sincerely,

____________
Eddie Kiernan,
Private Secretary

A chairde

tara-foundation.org is down today but it should be up again by
tomorrow. Our site can still be accessed at the temporary address of
http://homepage.eircom.net/~guerin/index.html.

Claire

Hello everyone

We're presently updating our name servers, so apologies should you
experience any downtime on our website in the next couple of days.
This changeover should make for a better site with more sections and
wider scope. I'll update you when that happens.

There are some interesting articles slated for the August-September
issue of the magazine, including the latest of our ongoing series on
Burma. Another of our short videos should also be finished soon.

Claire, webmaster


http://www.tara-foundation.org

Hi,
Your friend Michael Martin has sent you a picture he just uploaded on
http://www.pictiger.com.

You can see the picture at this address:

http://server6.pictiger.com/img/591864//poster.php

If you want to upload images yourself, visit: http://www.pictiger.com

---------------------------------------------------------
Please note this e-mail is not SPAM, it has been sent through our website
Pictiger.com

Please sign the petion below, putting pressure on John Gormley, Ireland's new Minister for the Environment, to reroute proposed M3 out of Ireland's historical Gabhra Valley.

 

http://www.petitiononline.com/taram3/petition.html

 

 

Thanks

 

Michael Martin

 

Burial ground razed by M3 workers, claim
Evening Echo - Cork,Ireland
An ancient burial ground near the Hill of Tara in Co Meath was razed to the ground during overnight work on the controversial M3 motorway, environmentalists ...
See all stories on this topic

 

Stonehenge
The 'Save the Hill of Tara' protestors carry their banner around the henge after the disappointing dawn, handing out leaflets. (Camcorder still).
Megalithic Portal Images - http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showgall&gid=&offset=&orderby=dateD

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