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Media Centre
See photos of early stages of destruction at bottom of this page.
See site map for more information on the Hill of Tara
PRESS RELEASE
Save Tara Campaign
Friday March 21, 2008
NRA Move in Diggers as Gormley Exits Site
(see related reports on News page, here:
In a move described by protesters as ‘extremely provocative’ the National Roads Authority today breached the agreement reached with protesters last week by moving heavy machinery into the area at the base of the esker at Rath Lugh in Co. Meath.
The NRA are denying that any agreement was made with Lisa “Squeak” Feeney to cease all work in the area for a month. Lisa maintains that a written agreement was made with Kevin O’Rourke that included a month’s moratorium on any work in the area of Rath Lugh and its environs. Michael Egan of the NRA is reported as denying that this agreement exists.
'The NRA have proved themselves to be dishonest and underhand in breaching the
agreement made for a moratorium on works in this area last week.' said Lisa Feeney of the Rath Rugh Direct Action Camp this morning.
Minister for Environment and Local Government John Gormley had just left the site at around 9.00am shortly before the diggers moved in. Minister Gormley had been advised by his officials not to visit the actual site of the controversial works. He was accompanied by members of his department and an archaeologist from the National Monument Service.
He was shown the maps and diagrams from the Golder Consultant's Report that
recommended an engineered 'crib wall' to secure the esker area that forms the base of the monument at Rath Lugh.
Minister Gormley and his officials left the area at 9 am. At 9.30am three diggers arrived at the esker accompanied by 50-100 gardaí and construction workers. Three riot vans are currently is the area also. The woods at Rath Lugh are swarming with gardaí and security.
'It is an affront to democracy that the NRA, private security personnel and Gardaí should move against peaceful protectors in such an aggressive manner as soon as a Minister of the Government has the left the site and is unable to witness it.' said Michael Canney of the Campaign today.
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PRESS RELEASE
From Save Tara campaigners: 7 March, 2008
Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin (Ireland: 087-9249510)
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.
Contact details:
Vigil phone 086-1758557
Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp phone: o86 1537 146
For further information ring Derek on 086-845 9279 or Lou on 086-3600478
The postal address:
Tara Solidarity Vigil
PO Box 30, Navan,
Co. Meath, Ireland
tAttention: Derek Reilly or Lou McMahon
Click here to see the video of events 5-6 March at Rath Lugh, Lismullin, Co Meath
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PRESS RELEASE
Campaign to Save Tara
November 2007
Campaign calls for an independent engineer's report on Rath Lugh area
The Campaign to Save Tara is calling for an independent engineer's
report on the area where the M3 motorway is planned to pass by Rath
Lugh. The Campaign has learned that, although Minister Gormley placed a
preservation order on the monument in August 2008, the order does not
include the esker that forms part of the foundation of Rath Lugh. The
documents from the Department of the Environment received by Campaign to
Save Tara include a map outlining the area of protection and shows
clearly that the esker is not included.
As an esker is a geological feature formed of sand and gravel during the
ice age, it is the most unstable of substances upon which to build a
motorway. If the natural perimeter of an esker is breached it can result
in a lowering of the water table. This will leave the surface so dry and
barren that it will lead to the death of trees, soil slippage and the
destabilisation of the entire surface.
The preservation order is thus inadequate, the boundaries surrounding
the Rath are disputed and it is feared that alien substances may be
necessary to prop up the monument if the foundation is taken away.
Originally, the NRA maintained that the road would be 100metres away
from the Rath but these documents from the Department of the Environment
show that it could be as close as 8metres. The road shake from the
motorway carriage will pose a serious threat to the stability of the
esker and to the monument itself.
Expert archaeologists warned of the possible danger to Rath Lugh during
the Oral Hearing but their words fell on deaf ears. The Campaign 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 without
archaeological supervision – where the henge was later discovered.
Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin said: 'This is a defensive, promentary outpost of
Tara marking the entrance to Tara's landscape. It now obvious that it
will be severely impacted by this route. The motorway must be rerouted
to avoid Rath Lugh, the only way this can be achieved is to move the
entire road out of the Gabhra Valley. There is no room for manoeuvre in
this area due to the number of already existing and recognised
monuments.The Campaign again asks that all construction work be stopped
until the EU deals with the legality of this work in the European Court
of Justice.'
The documents for the Department may be viewed here:
The order http://www.savetara.com/Download/Rath_Lugh_TPO.pdf
The map http://www.savetara.com/Download/TPO_Map.pdf
Aerial photograph 23 September shows clearly the proposed track of the
motorway:
http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u167/muireanntemair/Rath%20Lugh%20Sept%2023%2008/
For verification: Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin 00353-(0)87-9249510
Footnote from Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
Just a footnote as many people were not around 2 years ago in this campaign - in June (I think) 2005 I gave a very short talk at Dalgan (along with Edel and others) - repeated to a great extent in Lismullin in 2006 about the Gabhra Valley in literature: I put forward the theory at the time that Rath Lugh was a newer name for Rath Gabhra mentioned in the context of the Battle of Gabhra (an unhistorical event as the Fianna probably never lived, purely literary creations but from a monument point of view this is irrelevant). The talks were published by Riocht na Mide: here is the link to the text of the article on our site: http://www.savetara.com/gabhraval.html
When I was looking around at the time I looked at the druid's rath possible connection, this is not exhaustive by any means. Two important references but nothing to say that it is Rath Lugh as E. Hickey seems to think.
Fert in druad in Acallam na Senórach (Interviewing of the Old Men)
Stokes, W., Acallamh na Senórach, Irische Texte 4, i (Leipzig 1900) 1-226, p 11, line 361.
Dooley, A. and Roe, H., Tales of the elders of Ireland (Oxford University press 1999) 13.
Described as being NW of Tara – not a description of Rath Lugh’s location.
This text has many places with different names to elsewhere.
Duma na nDrúad in the Metrical Dinnshenchas in the poem about Achall = Skryne of course.
Vol 1 of the Metrical Dinnshenchas, p 48-9.
Locates Achall as east of Tara – which it is.
I also looked up Rath Lugdach at the time, also in the Dinnshenchas tradition:
Mentioned as a rath connected with Tailltiu (Teltown) vol 4 of the Metrical Dinnshenchas, p 156.
Gwynn, E., (ed.) The Metrical Dindshenchas i, Todd Lecture Series xiii (1903), ii Todd Lecture Series ix (1906), iii Todd Lecture Series x (1913), iv Todd Lecture Series (1924), v Todd Lecture Series xii Todd Lecture Series (1935), (1937), reprinted 1941, reprinted 1991 (DIAS).
Download PDF version of this press release here.
Download 300 dpi print versions of these photos here:
top photo - 'What hope for the future?' by Helen Rose
middle photo - 'Scar on landscape' by Helen Rose
See more of Helen's photos here.
bottom photo - 'Rath Lugh' by Dr Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
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PRESS RELEASE
MINISTER'S DIRECTIONS FLOUTED IN THE GABHRA VALLEY
When, on May 11, 2005, the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, gave directions on procedures for the development of the M3 freeway, he said that: "the removal of forestry and topsoil at Lismullin and Ardsallagh will be carried out under archaeological supervision; all construction topsoil stripping will be archaeologically monitored."
Tree felling and use of heavy digging machinery at Lismullin and at the base of Rath Lugh (one of Tara's outlying defensive fortifications) is not being carried out in accordance with the Minister's directions. It seems that standards of best archaeological practice are not being observed and that the directions are being openly flouted.
There is no archaeological supervision of forestry clearance at Lismullin. Neither is there any archaeological monitoring of large-scale earthmoving from the base of the Rath Lugh scarp. Such actions completely undermine Rath Lugh and the assurances given by the Minister in relation to this, one of our nation's most sensitive archaeological and historical landscapes. It must be assumed that the Minister and his senior archaeologist must know of this work that is in direct breach of the directives.
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Rath Lugh is an important national monument in its own right but, as an integral part of Tara, its significance is even greater. It stands as a sentry over the Gabhra Valley guarding the northern and north-western approaches to the Hill and overlooks other nearby recorded archaeological monuments, namely a barrow and souterrain. It is extremely likely that other monuments that are not visible on the surface are also found within its immediate vicinity. Photographs show the destruction at the base of Rath Lugh – the stratified archaeological sediments can be seen in the right of photo below. If there were archaeological supervision such works would have been brought to a halt at the first sight of potential archaeological features. Heavy machinery, whether supervised or not, should not have been used or permitted in this area. Why is it necessary to commence such work under cover of darkness? This remains a mystery to all except, of course, those who sanctioned the work in the first instance. Health and Safety concerns aside, it is unlikely that someone will see freshly disturbed archaeological features in the dark – even if an archaeologist were present armed with miner's helmet and infra-red goggles. The Minister also said in a statement on May 11th 2005: "The directions which I have given represent a measured approach. They are both comprehensive and onerous. They protect heritage."
In fact, it appears that the Minister’s expressed wishes are being 'comprehensively' ignored.
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