Press Release on behalf of the Tara Solidarity Vigil
Camp 1st July 2008
It is a very strange world we live in. While
the Government is funding the destruction of our Culture and Heritage in the
Tara Valley, Ireland is hosting the 6th World Archaeological Congress (WAC)
2008 , being held at U.C. D, of which President Mary McAleese is a patron
(http://www.ucd.ie/wac-6/index.html)
As the worlds Archaeologists convene in Dublin, another National
Monument draws even closer to destruction at Lismullen, in the Tara
Valley.
The Souterrain (GPS ME032:021) is closer to the construction
work than had been expected, and is in serious threat of damage due to
the close proximity of the heavy machinery. The exclusion zone around this
monument is estimated at over 143m less than had been planned . Donald
Murphy of the Archaeological company A.C.S. working on the section has been
reported to have voiced that it is only 7m now from the physical road.
The World Archaeological Congress (WAC) is the only representative,
fully international organization of practicing archaeologists. Founded
in 1986, WAC encourages open dialogue among all people genuinely concerned
about the past, including scholars from under-represented parts of the
world, First Nations people, and descendent communities whose pasts are told
by archaeologists. One of WAC's primary functions is to hold an
international congress every four to five years to offer discussion of new
archaeological research as well as archaeological policy, practice and
politics. Previous congresses were held in the United States, South Africa,
India, Venezuela and England.
Ireland has the honour of hosting the SIXTH
WORLD ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONGRESS, to be held in Dublin. How ironic, when we
are systematically destroying our Archaeological landscape to replace it
with motorways in the same week that hundreds of international Archeologists
will visit Tara, that leading Archaeologist Jo Ronayne, employed by the NRA
subcontractor A.C.S. to survey the M3 Tara valley route has been reported to
have claimed her findings were changed to weight support towards the final
route, when in-fact there was allegedly evidence against it (Irish Mail on
Sunday, 29Jun2008).
When the M3 motorway was been planned it was a time
of affluence in Ireland but now with recession looming it's time to re-visit
the financial cost to tax payer of this expensive project. The Tara
Solidarity Vigil calls on the people of Ireland to come and meet the WAC
representatives who are taking a tour of Tara on Wednesday, 2nd July'08.
Please come and ask them to add their voices and support to the call on the
Government to look at sustainable and viable alternatives to the proposed M3
and take serious alternative solutions like the Meath Master Plan. People
will be congregating at the car park from 10am to welcome the group to the
Hill of Tara.
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