Ireland’s Endangered Cultural Site
A new tollway threatens the archaeologically rich Hill of Tara that is the spiritual heart of the country
- By Amanda Bensen
- Smithsonian magazine, March 2009, Subscribe
"The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls
As if that soul were fled."
The words of 19th-century Irish poet Thomas Moore still ring true, and the only music you're likely to hear around Tara nowadays is the clang of construction equipment. Several hundred acres of gentle green fields, marked by some lumps and bumps, cover this patch of County Meath in northeast Ireland. A nice place to lie down and watch the clouds scud by, perhaps, but is it any more remarkable than the rest of Ireland's lovely landscape?
Cinnte, to use an Irish expression of certitude. The archaeologically rich complex on and around the Hill of Tara is seen by many as the spiritual and historic heart of Ireland. It was the venue for rituals, battles and burials dating back to 4000 B.C. More than 100 kings were crowned at Tara, and St. Patrick is said to have stopped there to seek royal permission before spreading his message of Christianity.
In more recent history, the hill was the site of Daniel "the Liberator" O'Connell's 1843 "monster meeting," a massive political demonstration that rallied some 750,000 people to the cause of repudiating the country's union with Britain. Thousands of people still gather on its crest on midsummer's eve, both for the panoramic view and what one visitor calls "the sense you get there of being close to something holy."
"Tara is a part of the Irish psyche," says George Eogan, a retired Dublin archaeologist who led excavations near the hill in the 1960s. "Irish people, they know of Tara from their very early days. It's in schoolbooks and stories, even in primary school."
But Irish history now risks being consumed by the Celtic Tiger—the nickname given to Ireland's phenomenal economic expansion for more than a decade. Inevitably, a thriving economy brought demands for an expanded infrastructure. And so, in 2003, the Irish government approved construction of a new four-lane tollway, the M3, to cut through the Tara complex. Construction began in 2005, and despite a storm of public protest, the project appears unstoppable.
"When it was proposed in 2000, most people nationally had no idea what was happening. And I think everyone trusted the government not to pick a route that was so damaging," says Vincent Salafia, a lawyer from nearby County Wicklow who founded the anti-M3 group TaraWatch in 2005. "There's flat land all around. We still can't quite figure out why they insisted on going so close to Tara."
Proponents of the M3 argue that the highway will improve life for tens of thousands of commuters who live northwest of Dublin and often spend hours each day creeping along traffic-clogged, two-lane roads into the capital city, about 30 miles away from Tara. Other proposed routes for that section of the M3 would have disturbed a greater number of private homes and farms. Proponents also note that the new road will be almost a mile away from the actual Hill of Tara, a 510-foot-high knoll.
"If it doesn't go through the hill, then it's not damaging the site? That is the greatest bit of nonsense that I've ever heard," counters Eogan. "The Hill of Tara is only the core area of a much larger archaeological and cultural landscape."
Preservationists particularly worry that the M3 will slice between the Hill of Tara and Rath Lugh, an ancient earthen fort about two miles northeast thought to have been used to defend the hill. A smaller road already divides the two sites, but the M3 will run much closer to Rath Lugh, even removing part of the promontory it sits on. "If this development goes ahead, Rath Lugh will merely overlook, from a distance of 100 meters, a motorway—which would be a rather ignominious end for a once proud and important monument," a trio of archaeologists warned in a 2004 publication.
Much of the recent controversy has focused on the 38 new archaeological sites that construction teams have unearthed along the section of motorway closest to Tara since the project began. The discoveries represent centuries of human activity, including prehistoric settlements, Bronze Age burial mounds, a possible medieval charcoal manufacturing kiln and the remains of a 19th-century post office. At the time, the discoveries barely caused a hiccup—the artifacts were removed, and once the sites had been "preserved by record" in notes and photographs, they were destroyed. Ireland's National Roads Authority has pledged that any artifacts will eventually be deposited in the National Museum of Ireland.
While that approach may be legally permissible, that doesn't make it right, says Salafia, who examined one of the exposed trenches at a site just north of Tara. "You could see a child's body where [construction teams] had actually cut off the nose and toes, and also shaved off the top of a cremation urn, leaving the ashes exposed," he says. Eogan calls it "an act of sheer vandalism."
The M3 is scheduled for completion in 2010, though the global recession may delay it. In the meantime, Tara is attracting increased international attention, and is under consideration to become a Unesco World Heritage Site.
"Most of the endangered sites around the world are suffering due to neglect and climate change," Salafia says. "But this is an act of assault—premeditated assault, if you will—by the very people who are given the job of taking care of it."
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Comments (70)
I used the freeway to get from Tipperary to Dublin airport a few days after a section was opened in September 2010, and was pleased that it seemed so like the fast and efficient roads that we have in Australia, I do empathise however, with the historians, archeologists and purists re the preservation of Tara and surrounds, but it's also important to provide carriageways that work with the community and the times and that will hopefully increase the tourism dollar for all the Irish.
Posted by Mary Quealy on April 15,2012 | 06:10 AM
I want to cry.
Posted by Cynthia Bernstein on April 3,2012 | 08:44 PM
May I add some facts to points made in Liam Waters posting May 2010. According the the National Roads Authority ( NRA);-
1. The sum spent on archaeology on the M3 was 40 million euro. The entire cost of the road was one billion euros.
2. Construction was completed and the road opened AHEAD OF TIME – June 2010.
As it has now been confirmed the traffic levels are below those guaranteed to the Spanish owners compensation to the tune of over 2million euro a year has come into play.
There were a number of routes available for the M3 including the shorter Orange route west of the Hill of Tara which may well have attracted more traffic from the growing town of Trim.
The Question still remains – why build a tolled motorway through the Tara Skryne ( Gabhra) valley, an area Meath Heritage Department call a National Asset when other, possibly more profitable routes, were available especially when the Contract included a traffic guarantee? An independent Red C consumer Survey early 2008 found almost 70%of Irish people in favour of routing the motorway away from Tara.
Posted by Pat McCormick on July 11,2011 | 06:24 AM
The M3 is being subsidised at over 2 million euros a year. Clearly on the wrong route and not attracting enough vehicles.
Anyone who has visited Tara will know that the Motorway. is visible from the Hill
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/seanad/2011/06/16/00015.asp
Road Network
Thursday, 16 June 2011 Seanad Éireann Debate
Vol. 208 No. 9
Unrevised
...>Some €500,000 a month is being paid to the private operators of the M3 motorway and the N18 Limerick tunnel. The National Roads Authority, NRA, has confirmed that traffic volumes have fallen short of the guarantees given by the State. The payments amount to an annualised figure of €5.9 million which will be paid because traffic volumes on the two routes have fallen below agreed thresholds. At €5.9 million, this is more than four times the authorities' revenue share from all of its other PPP toll motorways
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/state-paying-euro111000-a-week-to-toll-r\ oad-operators-2672986.html
New figures show payments to the operators of the Limerick Tunnel between September and December last year amounted to €1.24m, while payments for the M3 Clonee-to-Kells motorway between October and December came to €547,000.
This works out at an average of €111,000 per week
Posted by mollie on July 9,2011 | 09:08 AM
what an absolute disgrace and outrage! How can they value money and conveinance above tradition, heritage and the environment!? Shame on you in control; the people we elect that don't speak for the people but just for their greedy selves!
Posted by Tara Nicole Murphy on May 10,2011 | 02:28 PM
What a load of stupid, ignorant rubbish. Tara is in no way threatened or undermined by this necessary development. The new motorway is in fact further away from the site than the old road. It's the height of irony that some 2,000 years ago Tara was the central hub of, An Sli Mor, Ireland's ancient highway system.
The construction of the M4 was carried out with extensive archoloigical consultations and several digs ,which otherwise would not have happend, have added to our knowledge of the complex. Several vexatious groups have held up this vital development and cost the Irish state hundreds of millions of euro, while several people have died due to traffic accidents on the old congested road.I wonder does that weigh on their conscience, I doubt it, these people are reactive,rarely reflective. The Smithsonian is out of it's depth in sponsering such vexatious idiots and is acting in an almost colonial manner in opposing the will of the Irish state and people who overwhelmingly support the project.
Posted by Liam Waters on May 29,2010 | 09:23 AM
OH! Wow, so the politicians of Ireland, who are letting this destruction and desecration of a Holy place go forward are the same corrupt, perverted politicians that are controlling Canada, USA, England, Australia, etc., etc.; well who the hell is surprised!!
My prayers and thoughts are with the Land of Ireland and her people BRAVE ENOUGH to fight for the survival of at least some of her memories and heritage!
Erin go Bragh!!
The Hill of Tara will not fall! Too many of her past Kings are waiting in the wings to continue the battle against a new foe!
Posted by QueenOfTheSea on March 15,2010 | 08:32 PM
This epitomises the greed of the Fianna Fail Govt. This desecration can only be compared to teh destruction of the Buddist Statues in Afghanistan. It simply beggars belief. This generation of Irish will have this black mark hanging over us forever, it will be a testament to what we are. Somehow we allowed this to happen
Posted by Daithi MacCumahill on October 7,2009 | 06:21 PM
This is extremely disappointing to see. Historically minded Americans generally view Europeans as much more sophisticated in their outlook toward historic preservation and the retention of their heritage. Ireland is known for its tremendous historic and heritage values. How a few bureaucrats can impose their will on the citizenry of a country that is known for its will to stand up for a good fight is horrifying. Rise up and cut this off at the pass.
Posted by Michael on September 25,2009 | 05:18 PM
Why do all humans seem to bent on destroying their own culture's heritage and history?? The very things that make them unique... that they should be proud of and celebrate...... I will never understand.
Posted by reb on September 25,2009 | 04:40 PM
The destruction of the soul of Ireland.
Posted by judy on September 25,2009 | 12:21 PM
A road may well be a necessary evil. Perhaps the road would not mar the land and might even provide better access to Tara. As a purist, a Celtiphile, and a person who hopes to see Tara some day, it is my hope that the M3 will be far enough away that, when I finally reach my country and see her history, it will be free of a greedy road's pollution.
Posted by Ruth S on August 4,2009 | 09:30 PM
Even here in America, that would never happen, and everyone knows that American is the land of destruction. To even think that the cultural foundation of the Irish people is going to be violated by asphalt and speeding cars in the name of an "progress" known as the CELTIC TIGER is absurd. To pride oneself on NOT being like the British or the Americans....it sure appears that there is a little mud on your faces!
Posted by Michelle on June 27,2009 | 10:40 AM
I highly doubt that this post will be shown, considering it isn't an uneducated rant about the destruction of the Hill of Tara, but here goes anyway. First of all, to those who lament the desecration and loss of this sight forever but have already seen it, it is most likely that a subsequent visit to the Hill post-M3 would probably be no less enjoyable - far from ruined - by the presence of the motorway, which will be virtually unnoticeable from the summit of the hill. Secondly, to those who see the motorway as unnecessary "progress", why not ask the families of people killed on the N3 road what they think? A fact that many people do not understand about road transport in Ireland is that when a new motorway such as this is built, it is not merely a new road, but a replacement for a completely unsafe predecessor. It is important that these roads be built to save lives. Also, the motorway does not service commuters alone, but the whole of the northwest of Ireland, and so arguments founded on an economic downturn are insufficient. Further, rerouting the motorway in any direction around the Hill would have had adverse effects, be it on the aesthetic of the area, or on the countless archeological finds which pop up on virtually every construction site in this country - the current solution appears to be the least intrusive on balance. There also seems to be an awful lot of people in glass houses here - I would ask any posters from the USA in particular to take a long hard look in the mirror before condescending to the Irish on questions of cultural or archeological preservation. Biased points of view have been presented in this article as well as by protesters organised against the M3 which have branded Ireland as a country of archeological terrorists - we are truly ashamed of what happened at Wood Quay in the late 70s and early 80s, and it is reprehensible to suggest that this project is history repeating itself.
Posted by Barry McK on April 29,2009 | 07:28 PM
In 2007 I was lucky enough to gift myself with the trip of a lifetime, 25 days in Ireland. I was also fortunate enough to get to visit Tara prior to the desecration that has since commenced (my trip ended on Sept 10, 2007!) I missed being part of a huge protest by just a few days, too bad I didn't know when I planned the trip! I liken building this highway as ludicrous as doing the same next to the Pyramids, or through Jerusalem right next to the "birthplace" of Christ! I am a 'merican of Irish descent, traced back many generations originating in County Cork! So many of us were displaced by the famine(s)and we now need to join hands around the planet wherever we may be, and scream out to stop this obscenity! go to http://www.tarawatch.org and see what you are able to do. NOW is the time for all with Irish blood to stand up and show the current government what CELTIC TIGER really is, they are aiming at our heart, FIGHT BACK!!!
Posted by Floris M Barrett on April 4,2009 | 05:32 AM
every time I went in Eire..I felt irish inside!!! it's a shame don't fight to preserve this magic corner of celtic culture.
Posted by michele on March 24,2009 | 12:13 PM
It is a shame that the cultural landscape of an ancient people is violated by asphalt and speeding cars in the name of an illusion known as an economic boom. Is this progress or cultural genocide? It appears the those in the Irish government failed to learn the lessons the British left by trying to cleanse the past from the people.
Posted by Jeffrey Slater on March 21,2009 | 08:53 PM
In Tokyo has excavation where made for the new Sub way line they came across an ancient fortified palace under some 10 to 20 metres below the city. An under ground museum was build with the foundation of this structure shown to all the subway was build around it and all taking this subway can see the remains of this once grand palace behind glass. The way we take care of our Human heritage is in a way portraying our respect for our own lives and those to come .
Posted by Uwe Paschen on March 16,2009 | 09:25 AM
I am saddened to read of this - even more so, that I only know now - March 2009. How can I help halt or stop this destruction? An aunt once traced our family ancestry back to a high king. whether or not this is accurate I believe Tara is a seat of ancestry for all of us who call ourselves Irish. On another (possibly similar)note, I was appalled last summer to visit the cliffs of Mohar and to see the excavation that is taking place there for the development of a visitor centre. This unique, spectacular seascape is being exploited for euros. the landscape nearby is being destroyed - something irreversible. Ireland, please don't destroy our one irreplaceable asset, the earth, the landscape. For millennia we and our ancestors have respected the earth and ancient worship/burial places - this is why in all the world we have more of these intact than many other places. THINK
Posted by Caitriona Horan on March 14,2009 | 06:13 PM
Ok people, I see there are still many amongst you who feel that the Hill of Tara and the monuments thereon are in danger from the M3 Motorway. I urge you to visit www.m3motorway.ie to see and read the TRUTH about the routing of the motorway. The Hill itself is not under threat, as the motorway is located a minimum of 1.2km away, albeit clipping the base of the hill on the northwestern side. To have put the motorway on the opposite side of the hill would have been to cause a huge scar on the view across the plain. As it is, the road can barely be seen from the top of the hill.
Posted by Stuart Elder on March 13,2009 | 09:23 AM
My wife, children, and I were very saddened after reading this article on Tara. I might have suspected this governmental nearsightedness around us, Western PA, but not in Ireland. We have many fond memories of walking around this magical place, as well as many others in Ireland. Has the government ever thought about what has been feeding the "Celtic Tiger"? Surely not super-highways. Is there a way we can fight this from the states? Very, very depressing and disheartening news. David, Amy, Scott, Sam, and Nora Ball.
Posted by David Ball on March 12,2009 | 09:42 PM
How hard is this to understand It is time all peoples understood the history,artifacts and remains of previous generations do not belong to us or or our/your family or our/their country but belongs to all mankind, We, you and me have no right to destroy these non replaceable things but are honor bound to protect it for future generations. This includes not concentrating item in one place so they risk being lost for ever such as the looting of the artifacts from Babalyon during the Iraq war. Any peanut can route a motorway just do it right.
Posted by Wayne Kerr on March 10,2009 | 05:45 AM
I don't understand. Everyone mentions the "Irish Government". Am I missing something? Who is electing and re-electing these people to represent the Irish nation? This has been going on for sometime. Why haven't these officials lost their jobs?
Posted by David Lane on March 6,2009 | 07:59 PM
How utterly sad. I am thankful that Skellig Michael is so remote. It stands as one of the last beacons of Celtic culture not completely corrupted by "progress". Ireland as we knew it is no more and I fear the karma that will visit her if these politicians have their way. The ancestors are watching and they are weeping.
Posted by Marie De La O on March 4,2009 | 09:40 PM
One would wonder with the recession in Ireland is there even a need for the M3 now? The number of people commuting the route will drop dramatically. Hopefully the EU will step in a force the Irish Government to stop, as they were planning on fining them regarding the fact that the "Irish National Monuments Act" is not providing enough protection to Tara and the Skryne Valley.
Posted by John Ó'Ríordán on March 4,2009 | 04:51 AM
What are the Irish government doing? I went to Tara in 2007 and it was a wonderful experience. My daughter who is more Irish than me has never seen Tara, and I hope the Hill of Tara will be preserved. Shame on the Irish government. You don't need roads to carry commuters to Dublin. Leave the countryside alone. Ireland is a special place and when there are no more pre-historical sites, there will be no more tourists. I am very angry, all the way from Australia.
Posted by Rosemary Delahunt on March 3,2009 | 09:03 PM
Never mind the media image generators - see what the real Protectors of Tara are doing to Save Tara http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoBVIL5lCtg&feature=channel Help is needed - your help Save Tara PO box 30 Navan Co Meath Ireland. don't be a watcher - be an activist
Posted by Con Connor on March 3,2009 | 07:53 PM
A very important aspect of the Hill of Tara has not been referred to, and this is the importance of the Mound of the Hostages on top of the Hill. It is similar to Newgrange and Stonehenge in that it is aligned to to rising sun. The opening of the Mound of the Hostages is lit up by the rays of the rising sun at the beginning of November and again at the beginning of February. This mound is approximately 5000 years old. There is a strong possibility that this mound and perhaps some of the other sites on Tara may be aligned to the moon or some of the stars. If the motorway is built to the east of Tara as is at present the case, then we and future generations will never have the chance to study what other possibilities may have been explored by the people who built this site. The lights of a motorway with its intersections and its traffic noise will change that experience for ever.
Posted by dymphna headen on March 3,2009 | 04:38 PM
"I shall not see a world which will be dear to me...." Once Tara and these places that link us to our past and to the unique landscape are lost they can never be replaced. The rich cultural heritage represented by Tara is something that we are the caretakers of, it is our duty to sustain and preserve for the generations to come something that is a gift not only to the people of Ireland but to all the people of the World.
Posted by J C Melia on March 3,2009 | 11:45 AM
Wood Quay take two. Intelligence and integrity are not high on the political priority list in this greedy nation.
Snide idiots are in control and are allowed to continue to randomly plan around corrupt decisions powered by backhanders and cronyism. The sad thing for me is hearing many Irish people give priority to this needless destruction of such a significant area. Apathy and mediocrity rules OK. WAKE UP IRELAND! This was a missed opportunity to enhance our public transport system and REDUCE vehicle numbers on the road. Fools.
Posted by BRIAN MCGUINNESS on March 3,2009 | 11:43 AM
Thank you for your support on this issue. The Irish people including me have always been against the destruction imposed on us by the M3. But we have been to almost every avenue to stop this but our planning laws are so lax that the NRA (National Roads Authority) can basically say that they've vaguely considered the issue and you know we're putting it where we want. Our government claim it's not about future development of the 6000 year old valley but have fought long and hard for a route that is obviously flawed.. one can only speculate why?
Posted by Pauline Bleach on March 3,2009 | 05:52 AM
The irony of the Irish Government's continued insistence in ploughing a new road through the unique archeological complex of the Hill of Tara and environs, is that it has even less economic justification now than it did when the vandalism was first mooted. Ignoring the unsustainable fetishism of the private car over public transport and all that entails, we in Ireland are loosing jobs so rapidly that the existing infrastructure will more than suffice to dispatch the trickle of commuters that remain from their dormitory estates to the Dublin sprawl. But then rationality has never had much to do with planning in this Island. To the intellectually and financially bankrupt elite that runs the Republic infrastructural spending equals road building. It's a simple and as dumb as that. We can only hope they are so broke that they have to give up their plans for Tara before more damage is done.
Posted by Stephen de Buitléir on March 2,2009 | 05:32 PM
I have lived in Ulster in the 1980's and have been studying the Celtic culture for a number of years. In my studies I have found out that Tara, the hill of Taya, and the surrounding area is the home to the mythical people, the Tuatha De Danann. It has been also the site of the High Kings of Ireland for several millenia. This area holds special meaning to the Celtic nation, which spans from Western Europe into Asia. To desecrate this site with roadways is unconceivable. Does the Irish government not care of its own history and that of the Celtic peoples so as not to disturb this special area of the world. Has not there been so much of the antiquaties of this planet destroyed by greed and war. Can we not for once understand that there are areas that must be left undisturbed. I beg the Irish government to reconsider its roadway plans and stop the madness. There is still time, but not much.
Posted by Lewis R. Sotnick on March 2,2009 | 05:30 PM
Very sad how far removed and corrupt Irish politicans are by letting this happen ;-(
Posted by Markus on March 2,2009 | 04:36 PM
The Smithsonian could have devoted an entire issue to the plight of Tara and other sacred, historic sites under siege. I was at the Tara Complex in 2005, before the state-sponsored vandalism began. My heart will break when I return to the place of my ancestors and can no longer hear silence broken only by bird calls and lowing cows.
Posted by Retha Ferrell on March 2,2009 | 04:19 PM
It is to my great shame that the heritage that was passed on to me will not be passed on to my children. It takes but one apathetic generation to allow greed and corruption to destroy the things that are truly important.
Posted by Emer on March 2,2009 | 03:55 PM
"The harp that once in Tara's halls......" No more sounds the harp, the fairy mounds, groves and thornbushes are desecrated or torn out, despite the warnings of Seannachie Eddie Lenahan. Now falls Tara. We will leave nothing to our children, nothing unto the seventh generation. No heart, no soul. We are bereft, our culture sold for Euros and dollars. The English were nothing to this....
Posted by Ellen Coutts Waff on March 2,2009 | 03:53 PM
I find it doubly tragic that they pressed ahead with this despite the backlash the bureaucrats suffered with the placement of the carriageway through the Glen of the Downs. Clearly absolute power corrupts absolutely, perhaps taking any sort of shame, hindsight, or foresight with it.
Posted by BWS Johnson on March 2,2009 | 03:02 PM
Two years ago I walked the area and found The Hill of Tara. The remarkable thing about it is that you cannot place your feet upon it and not feel that Kings and so many others have walked the same place. The historical value alone cannot even have a price placed upon it. The history this area holds cannot be replaced once gone. Hold tight to your heritage. In this day and age where old is replaced with new does not mean it is always the best decision. You have a remarkable area in Ireland that deserves the respect of past and future generations.
Posted by Diana Eucker on March 2,2009 | 02:47 PM
Can we not stop catering to cars and commuters like they are the be end all of life? Ireland is a very special place. Those people should work in Dublin, live closer in, and stop destroying the country so they have their cake and eat it too. We are living in a time when sacrifices must be made or will lose all irreplaceable things. Spiritual people have always seen the big picture, and their observations are often prophetic. If the road being a mile didn't mean that soon there would be a hideous shopping Mall, a string of exploitative hotels and restaurants, and condos marring the landscape and cutting off the view, it wouldn't be fought. But we all know what this leads to. Seattle used to be a gorgeous city where you could see the Puget Sound from any point in town. Now is cluttered up with ugly skyscrapers that cut off the light and block the views except for those with the money to purchase and ever taller condo to see over the neighboring building. The march of souless materialists moves forward and thsoe in charge -- well we can't afford dirty politics and self serving financial arrangements any more on this earth. Its too crowded and there are too many cars. Thank you for your consideration, Arlene deWinter
Posted by Arlene deWinter on March 2,2009 | 01:14 PM
My ancestors were born in Ireland. I had hoped to see the Hill of Tara one day. I find it unthinkable that such a treasure will be lost to a road. Not only am I an anthrolopolgy major, but this is a part of everyone Irish. Tourists could bring much more to the economic stability of Ireland than a road through a national prehistoric treasure. Why has the Hill of Tara never been made a landmark of historical nature?
Posted by Siobhan Caitlin Neal on March 2,2009 | 11:08 AM
Truly the Irish government should hang their head in shame. Given to it’s fondness of brown envelopes, it would sell its Granny for a fast buck. Stating that the motorway will have no effect to the monument is ludicrous; it is only a part of a huge archaeological and ancient religious complex and is probably one of the most important sites in the country. Any work done in the area would do untold damage when in fact it should be left untouched for future generations to cherish.
Posted by Ber Lynch on March 2,2009 | 11:08 AM
What is it with the Irish? About 13 years ago an ancient Viking site was found on the banks of the Liffey and no end of protest could stop the bulldozers! Irish politician seem to have proven themselves rogues and scoundrels to match any... I had hoped a country that was subjugated for so long, when it got a chance, would embody a deeper appreciation of its own rich heritage, social and historical. Maybe this will be stopped by the economy as much as anything else. Chance is a fine thing!
Posted by Patricia O'Halloran on March 2,2009 | 10:43 AM
I am a 3rd generation Irish-American. My wife and I visited Ireland in 2005 and have been planning a return trip since. We were not able to visit Tara last time and now I am afraid we will regret not seeing it before theis desecration is completed. Truly, this and the closing of Waterford Crystal have put a damper on a trip that I have dreamed of and enjoyed the mere anticipation of for over 3 years. How sad.
Posted by Michael Clancy on March 2,2009 | 10:09 AM
It sad to see this forum being used to attack religious minorities with unsubstantiated phrases such as "very extreme religious and ideological views" and "extremist political parties, or druidic cults." in a post by an anonymous person. What sort of distraction ruse is this? In Ireland under Article 44 of our Constitution 2. 1° says - "Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen." I am a Druid, very active in Ireland and on Tara, I also am a member of the World Druid Order and would suggest that it might be a good thing if Tara Hill continues to be open to all visitors at all times free of charge or religious discrimination. It would be an even better thing if the entire complex of Screen Hill, the Gabhra Valley and Tara Hill were respected, protected and preserved as an ancient Celtic City for ever.
Posted by Con Connor on March 1,2009 | 06:37 PM
This is progress?? How can this be? I find it amazing and practically inconceivable that this motorway idea through Tara was thought of, planned out and actually in progress. It is a disgrace as well as demeaning to past generations of the Irish people and also to the future generations that have spread far and wide across the globe. Humph, 'progress'. This is the typical 'progress' of the 19th century where people gave no regard to anything that lay in their path. And yet, even back then, if given the opportunity, no one would have dared to do this. True progress today is when people think out of the box and come up with solutions that help keep intact irreplaceable historical sites, especially when there is so much yet to be discovered. This project should be reconsidered and rerouted out of the Tara area completely. Constructing a highway through Tara serves only immediate public interest while at the same time destroying something of such historical significance and gravity, leaving sorrowful and indignant regret for future generations across the world to contend with. What a shame this will be, if it continues.
Posted by Elizabeth L. on February 28,2009 | 11:01 PM
Our so called Minister for Envioronment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley of the Green Party and his predecessor Dick Roche of the Fianna Fail party and the Government of which they are part of, will be forever remembered for this act of Vandalisim on our Heritage.
Posted by Kevin Keogh on February 28,2009 | 04:57 PM
Ireland sold her soul for the Celtic Tiger. Now it's backfired on her what else can she sell? Her spine has been broken
Posted by Imelda Murphy on February 28,2009 | 02:05 PM
I totally agree - this crass destruction of Tara must be stopped. The raison d'etre of the project has no valifity any longer, with the country almost bankrupt. The glacial pace of puiblic project decision-making in Ireland has left us building a tunnel under the Shannon in Limerick, on the basis that the port must be protected, and it has taken so long (>30 yrs) to start the tunnel that the port company are now speaking of moving the port down-stream of the tunnel. This kind of idiotic decision-making comes from the NRA, who have control of the Tara project - and whose board includes road-builders. This must be stopped - and we need world opinion to help. I particularly agree with and endorse the comparison with the Valley of the Kings in an earlier post here. Sean
Posted by Sean Mac Consaidin on February 28,2009 | 02:04 PM
Thank you for bringing news of this threat to the Tara landscape to a wider arena. The Tara complex could easily be called the cradle of Irish Civilisation spanning as it does 6000 years of history including traditionally, strong links to St Patrick. How appropriate that the Smithsonian Magazine published this article just before Irish Government Ministers embark on their St Patrick’s Day visits to the Irish Diaspora. In choosing to build a tolled motorway through this sacred landscape when there are other options available the Irish Government ( Fianna Fail and Green Party) clearly demonstrate that they actually have no respect for our shared heritage. To protect Tara from inappropriate development and to enable it to achieve World Heritage Site designation the motorway must be re routed outside of the complex of monuments. Having the Smithsonian list the Hill of Tara among the 15 must-see endangered cultural treasures in the world is a most welcome step towards that achieving goal.
Posted by Pat McCormick on February 28,2009 | 01:40 PM
The irony is that the Celtic Tiger is dead. The manic road building of the last few years was part of the boom economy. In a few years so few people may be commuting to work in Dublin that the whole project becomes a white elephant. But that won't bring the heritage back.
Posted by Olaf Hvattum on February 28,2009 | 01:17 PM
This is ridiculous. Why not sell your names? Your mothers, your fathers. Your very history? How much is Ireland worth to a few culturally ignorant vultures? Since when is 'progress' defined by the prostitution of heritage?
Posted by LaNae Riviere on February 27,2009 | 10:21 PM
Please save this historic bit o' green. My grandfather (McDonald) and his wife (Monahan), who were born in Ireland, would agree with me. So few of those who were forced to leave were able to bring Irish culture with them..but they knew it would be waiting for them when they returned. They never did. Save Tara.
Posted by Bonnie McDonald Johnston on February 27,2009 | 10:00 PM
I composed a long response and apparently it did not show up so am now rewriting. I was at Tara and the Boyne Valley last March. I consider that area to be the heart of Ireland and I am of Ireland having been born in Donegal. Over the years I have come to understand that politicians and bureaucrats do not see the forest for the trees. They become lost in the forest of their own limited concerns being mesmerized by the next election or short term thinking and are unable to look a generation ahead. When it comes to such an historically important site as Tara they seem to feel that a couple of kilometers away for the road is fine but the Boyne Valley culture covers a wide area. There should be a National Trust to protect a national treasure such as this. Looking ahead a generation would allow them to see the inevitable contraction of resources. There will be less and less oil within twenty years. That means very little fuel and what will be available will be very costly. This will result in the need for mass transit & that is where the politicians and urban & county planners should be looking. With a Tara road they are losing on what should be a national park, perhaps like Acadia National Park in the U.S. which attracts five or six million visitors a year to an 600 or 800 square mile area. Within the park are a number of towns with thousands of residents living amicably alongside a park that provides lucrative incomes. This day 90 years ago Acadia and the Grand Canyon were declared parks. Isn't about time some farsighted people could step forward. Where are the John Muir types who can step forward to work with the Teddy Roosevelts in the government?
Posted by hugh curran on February 27,2009 | 05:16 PM
Ireland is the land of my birth and Tara has, like Newgrange nearby, been the spiritual and archaeological core of Ireland. The idea that one can come within one or two kilometers of the actual site and not harm its historical and traditional role in Irish culture is ludicrous. The ancient Boyne Valley Culture has to be considered as a whole. When I visited in March of last year it was exhilarating just to be in the area of Newgrange (Bruig na Boinne) and Knowth and Dowth. It was the high point of my travels to my home country. Bureaucrats & politicians tend to think alike. They view "progress" as a necessity but as we can see from the present downturn in the economy, progress can very rapidly regress and people are back to where they were a generation or two ago and in need of mass transportation. Under duress most people will want to live in and near cities and as petrol inevitably becomes even more costly they will be forced to do so. Politicians and urban planners should be thinking a generation ahead instead of the next election cycle.
Posted by Hugh Curran on February 27,2009 | 03:55 PM
Thank you for bringing this travesty to a wider arena and audience. The destruction of the Tara valley is truly mind numbing in its short-sightedness. Thankfully groups like Tarawatch have being attempting to keep the story in the public domain and getting it listed on the most endangered list. The fact it should have to do this as the government is mired in self interest of its developers and not the country's heritage, is the disgusting part.
Posted by Eric Prendergast on February 27,2009 | 01:17 PM
Tara is the very heart & soul of Eire and, like Macchu Picchu in Peruand other sites around the world, is where Earth touches Heaven. "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls....." Jeremiah 6:16 "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set" Proverbs 22:28
Posted by Bernard Kelly on February 27,2009 | 11:33 AM
Even with Ireland on the verge of bankruptcy our muddled government persists in continuing the M3, the road that is destroying Tara.
Posted by Ralph Connor Kendall on February 27,2009 | 10:31 AM
The deeply ironic fact about the M3 is that it was primarily built to serve the communities created by the ill-fated Celtic Tiger economy, or put another way, huge suburban-style estates tacked onto old village communities with little or no services or amenities. These commuter belts were created by years of planning neglect and propped up by a local government vacuum and in some cases, corruption. Many of those responsible for this disaster in regional planning are still in power, and still insisting on pushing through a tolled motorway that is not required. Proper public transport and several bypasses would have coped adequately with the transport situation. Tara now suffers the very real probability of being hemmed in by development. An interchange on a motorway is no different to a scratch on a petri dish; leave it to 'culture' for a year or two and bingo: the virus of industrial and retail development appears. In its place, this sort of development may not be a problem; at the foot of the Hill of Tara (Blundelstown), it is a disgrace, but a fitting tribute to those that allowed it to happen. By that stage of course it is too late. (Think, for example, of the Great Pyramids). The Hill and its environs must now be given cast-iron protection. As wide a ring as possible must be set up around Tara and the monuments within the complex in order to stop this 'progress' in its tracks. Our only hope currently is that the Green Party Minister in charge does the right thing, in the face of opposition from some of his own government who clearly see no problem selling our heritage down the river.
Posted by Declan Kenny on February 27,2009 | 07:15 AM
Would the Egyptian government build a motorway through the Valley of the Kings, demolishing a pyramid and destroying other archaeological artifacts in the process? Unthinkable! Yet the Irish government has no problem with destroying their Valley of the Kings, the Tara landscape!Shame on the Irish government (which currently includes the Green Party) for the utter lack of respect they are displaying for the heart piece of Irish culture.
Posted by Michael Martin on February 27,2009 | 06:17 AM
I've never seen it and maybe I never will, but such a rich and beautiful heritage site should and must be treated with respect. The greed and destruction wrought in these decades are not a legacy I want to be part of. What will future generations think of this?
Posted by Jean Vidler on February 27,2009 | 06:02 AM
Dear Smithsonian and readers,
It is wonderful that the Hill of Tara was picked as a globally endangered site worth visiting, and saving. There are many ways you can help TaraWatch, as the fight is far from over.
Sign the UNESCO Petition
http://www.savetarapetition.net
Join the TaraWatch email discussion list
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/
Facebook TaraWatch cause, with over 8,000 members:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/827
Myspace TaraWatch - over 5,000 friends:
http://www.myspace.com/hilloftara
Sadly, politically and self-motivated individuals, with very extreme religious and ideological views, continue to use the Tara campaign to promote themselves and their extremist political parties, or druidic cults.
For more information on TaraWatch and the World Monuments Watch Listing for Tara, by the World Monuments Fund, please contact info@tarawatch.org
http://www.tarawatch.org
Posted by TaraWatch on February 26,2009 | 11:49 PM
This roadway construction is a crime against the world as a whole, not only against the Irish people. The Hill of Tara is not a "mere" artifact. It is a major historical, excuse me, pre-historical site. All of what is there is not known. What is needed is serious action that respects this world heritage site.
Posted by Bruce E Wright on February 26,2009 | 07:55 PM
I can not fathom the minds of government so deaf to the wishes of the ones they are ment to serve. Alas! this is true in each corner of our world today. Liner thinking does not work in a world of spirals. The progress sought by the minds that bring about destruction of our collective heritages will ultimately be their own destruction while dragging down each and everyone of us with their greed. I only can trust in the long run..."The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth"
Posted by Rain Smith on February 26,2009 | 05:23 PM
I am saddened, and disgusted by this. How could they destroy this site, the untold knowledge and history hidden beneath the soil for a road? A road! There are obviously many alternatives. You need to investigate the politicians in charge of this disaster, seems as though they're being bribed!
Posted by Krystyn Smith on February 26,2009 | 03:50 PM
I'm just sickened! I've always wanted to take my children to Ireland to see Tara one day, to show them this place of Kings. The utter wretched destruction of this archeological gem is incomprehensible. Wrong doesn't even begin to describe this. What a sad day for history, for Ireland and for all of us.
Posted by Alex Sommers on February 25,2009 | 10:55 PM
Tara (along with Uisneach) was once one of the "two kidneys" of Ireland. For those of us who profess the Druid faith, it is as if an ancient landscape temple were sacked by barbarian hordes. We are weeping at the thoughtless crime. It would have made so much better sense to revamp the already existing rail lines to accomodate commuters. The last thing a rapidly warming world needs is more cars and their toxic fumes. I hope that the Irish government will halt the desecration and pull up the road, create an archaeological park and bring back the railways! Ellen Evert Hopman (Saille) Order of the Whiteoak (Ord na Darach Gile)www.whiteoakdruids.org
Posted by Ellen Evert Hopman on February 25,2009 | 03:37 PM
Dear Readers, I hope this comment finds you all well. I wish to bring to your attention, that there is clear supporting evidence that The Ark of The Covenant is one of the many Treasures currently buried underground in The Hill of Tara, and the repeated denial by the Irish government towards the numerous requests for properly executed excavations indicates even more than a lack of preserving an ancient landscape. The Ark of The Covenant belongs to the Irish people, and to all the people of the world, as it provides not merely the Ten Commandments, but provision for every department of life, including economics, property, justice, housing, food, hygiene, agriculture and armed forces. The solution, to the betrayal that the government does above ground to all the people, is underground The Hill of Tara. The researcher, with the evidence that can safely guide for the raising up of the original copies of The Perfect Laws of Freedom/Liberty, lives in Ireland.
Posted by Debra Siddons on February 25,2009 | 10:33 AM
The landscape destroyed by the motorway remained much unaltered since the stone age, over five thousand years ago. In the space of the few months that it took to gouge through the valley the impact has been extream. Neolithic field structures like the Ceide fields,bronze age barrows, an iron age henge, early christian souterains and post medieval structures have been raised to the ground and "recorded" on paper. The public consultation was a sham where practically none of the hundreds of public concerns were meaningfully addressed (and of course this was held in Drogheda - not locally to make it as difficult as possible for citizens. Experts on archaeology were dismissed and locals were sneered at by the government consultant group all of whom were being handsomly paid their 40 pieces of silver for betraying our unique heritage). This is a tragedy that is of more significance than the blasting of the Buddhas. ....and all done in the name of PROGRESS......repeated mantra like as if to make it truth. Look at how we have now progressed....look
Posted by Martin on February 25,2009 | 05:49 AM
It looks as if the Irish government have taken a leaf out of the Thatcher/Major book, pushing roads through no matter what the heritage cost.
Posted by Steve Rogers on February 25,2009 | 05:02 AM
While we in Ireland welcome your coverage of this issue and thank you for doing so, it is a pity that you did not spread your net a little wider in your interviews.
Your article mentions the trio of archaeologists; they were two archaeologists and a historian by the way, and it is such a pity that they were not interviewed. They are the experts on Tara.
A pity also that the many local campaigners were not spoken to, those who have tried to prevent this catastrophe for 10 years now.
There were/are many more people involved in protesting against this project than simply Tarawatch.
It would have been worthwhile also to talk so some of those who lived in the various protest camps and who continue to engage with the construction workers and machinery.
A great opportunity missed.
For further information please visit also:
http://www.savetara.com
Posted by Muireann Ni Bhrolchain on February 25,2009 | 04:13 AM
The Irish government should be ashamed of themselves for selling off and not preserving their ancient heritage.
Posted by Deborah Campbell on February 24,2009 | 09:53 PM