Sava Tara

[misthawk]

This has just been brought to my attention, and I wondered if it was of interest to anyone here. Apparently, there is a proposal to build a motorway through the valley of Tara, an ancient archaeological site of historical importance in Ireland. Web site is here. As a historian and a pagan, I am really shocked that a proposal such as this could

Comments

[ragnvaeig]

The proposed M3 motorway through Co. Meath has been a big kerfuffle among Irish archaeologists for the past few years, so this is old news to me. Am not really sure there's much that those who aren't Irish citizens can do, besides support the organisations on Irish soil that have been working for decades to preserve the site.

[gryphon_s]

there has been a similar issue with the proposed re-routing of the motorway near the stonehenge site. People have(had?) been bitching very adamantly about the project, even though the proposed project was actually aimed at helping to preserve the site, return it to some of it's former glory (from what I read, they are trying to make it so the road isn't actually visible from the actual site.

People tend to hear the words "highway" or other urban development project in conjunction with a historic site and go batshit crazy about how bad it is without reading the facts. With the Tara project however, there IS some validity to the concerns, since they have been constantly uncovering new finds that prove the complex is larger than anyone thought before.

[ragnvaeig]

...have been constantly uncovering new finds that prove the complex is larger than anyone thought before.

Saw revised layout plans I think about 2 years ago, and the size is rather impressive, even if the precise relation of features to suggested ritual function can be pretty hazy.

Am starting to wish I could recall more details of said presentation, in case someone asks for an example of the above, but my period of expertise begins with the Early Christian period, and I attended the Tara discussion really only out of a general interest in the wider field of Irish archaeology.

[smarriveurr]

Having watched urban offices be constructed over the original Viking settlement of Dubh Linn, watched archaeologists rushing to work underground and preserve what could be done before the construction, I'm sadly unsurprised.

As mentioned, there's very little those outside Ireland can likely do to sway the situation, except perhaps to support the organizations fighting it internally. I suppose there's a chance that an overwhelming international response could put some brakes on the issue... but it's an entirely Gaelic reaction to say "Devil with you, lad, you don't have to live here, you don't commute around the thing."

[morrisidhe]

This has been a concern for some time. If you are interested in catching up on the history of the concern and what has been discussed, I recommend reviewing the discussion in the "savetara · Sábháil Teamhair' group on Yahoo. You can read the messages without becoming a member. Here is the link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/savetara/messages

There are several concrete things that you can do beyond signing the petition. The first is to spread the word that it is a concern. The second is to donate your time and expertise through the established websites and discussion groups. The third is to donate money to the cause, either through purchasing the Tara News or giving money to Tarawatch or Save Tara. For detailed information and instructions on how to get more involved I recommend the following links:

http://www.savetara.com/help.html

http://tarawatch.org/?page_id=84

[alfrecht]

That campaign against this has been going strong since 2005; the roadway was proposed as early as 2003. The government has shown that they don't give a rat's arse about any scholarly or historical or activist opinions on the matter, and that's not likely to change. For them, it's the bottom line cost issue, it's easier to build a roadway directly through the area and damn the consequences (including the development of strip malls and other businesses, which will further ruin archaeologically significant sites) than it is to consider what they're doing, and what it means to be directly undermining the seat of sovereignty of Eriu. One of the main academic advocates against all of this said she'd like to take it to the European courts, and to use it as the basis to undermine and depose the government--I'd be all for that (both literally and symbolically: they've already undermined themselves by their actions), but I don't know if it is going to happen or not.

[ravenrigan]

I know some people who are involved in the English side of the campaign. Some UK people are going over to protest, and there is some work going on to get support for the legal action. Personally I feel this is appropriate in such a world heritage area as Meath. If anyone wants to be put in touch, I can pass your email address on, or ask them for details, to post here.

Particularly welcome are articulate and informed people who are able to demonstrate that this is an important international issue.