TARA, IRELAND - NEEDS YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW

[Beith]

Dear friends,

I am writing this at a rather urgent time to ask for your support.

Tara, the site of the ancient high kings of Ireland in myth and history and a place long associated with druidry, is an area of incredible significance in both the secular and spiritual heritage of Ireland and indeed in the world at large. Tara and the Skryne valley are areas of natural beauty and peace. All of this is under-threat to a large degree by the Irish government's intentions to construct a huge motorway through the Skryne valley which will impact severely on archaeological and historically important areas.

A huge new ceremonial ritual site had been found near Tara, measuring about 3 football fields in size and seems to have had ancient ceremonial functions. This will be destroyed, as well as much of the land in the area, if the government are allowed to continue with the M3 Motorway.

Right now, a report on the site has been sent to the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche and a decision is imminent on the fate of that site. This minister has repeatedly refused to re-route the motorway so it does not destroy the land near Tara or invest instead in extending the train line service in the area which would negate the motorway. Although the hill of Tara itself is not under immediate threat, extensive surrounding areas of historical importance will be lost and archaeological matter will be destroyed, sacred land will be overlain with motorway and a huge multi-lane road with floodlights and intersections will impact Tara directly with noise, light pollution and high volumes of traffic. It is the equivalent of bulldozing the valley of the Kings and overlaying it with concrete. All of this is being done in order to sell out land to make profits by private tolls on the motorway.

It is urgent therefore that renewed effort is made to voice the strongest possible opposition for the M3 motorway, especially as the minister is about to rule on the destruction of the latest find.

Please take 5 mins to send an email to Minister Dick Roche and/or the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern or write a letter and post it to tbeir offices to protest the Irish government's willful destruction of our most important national heritage sites. They are selling out the land to building contractors who will turn profits from tolls on the motorway. You will find info on that in the below URLs

Email:
dick.roche@oireachtas.ie

Postal addresses:
Minister Dick Roche,
Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Dáil Éireann
Dublin 2
Ireland

Also Secretariat of the Minister
Dick Roche
Dept of Environment Heritage and local government
Custom House
Dublin 1
Ireland

Telephone: (Minister's office) + 353 1 8882404 and 8882571

Prime Minister (An Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern
Dáil Éireann
Dublin 2
Ireland

There is a campaign running in protest, I attach links thereto as well so you can find updated info if you request it.

Petition to SAVE TARA & Save Tara campaign website
http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/

http://www.savetara.com/

Tarawatch website (with updated info on the site and tons of links)
http://www.tarawatch.org/

Irish Times Newspaper
If you wish to write to the major national newspaper letters page:
lettersed@irish-times.ie

Recent news on the site and the Minister's refusal to say whether he has ordered "preservation by record" (ie. destruction of the site after noting it exists)

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0502/meath.html

Please please write. It only takes a few minutes but you may make a difference.

Many thanks,
Beith

Moderators/Admin. I have posted this in the Action Alerts but I ask you not to move it or lock it from here due to the urgency of action requested and the fact that the AA page gets less attention than here or in the pub. we are on the verge of a destruction order from the minister. A huge volume of protest mail to the minister's office/Taoiseach's office can only help sway that decision. with best regards, Beith

[Beith]

ps. please pass on this info to your friends and anyone who will be similarly outraged at wanton government-sanctioned destruction of heritage.

The TaraWatch/ Save Tara websites provide excellent info and links to all relevant info about the issues at hand, the status to date and who to contact for protest letters or for info on the campaign.

best regards
Beith

[Piastra]

thank you beith. might you not also post this over in the "saving gaia" and "ye old oak stump" forums of http://www.fatheroak.com ?

this is the work that many of us do online, as part of our druidic duties. especially thos eof us that can no longer physically plant a tree or go in person to protest.

loves, kinswoman mine,
chalci

dont' touch tara!!!
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[Cactus Curmudgeon]

Dear friends,

I am writing this at a rather urgent time to ask for your support.

Tara, the site of the ancient high kings of Ireland in myth and history and a place long associated with druidry, is an area of incredible significance in both the secular and spiritual heritage of Ireland and indeed in the world at large. Tara and the Skryne valley are areas of natural beauty and peace. All of this is under-threat to a large degree by the Irish government's intentions to construct a huge motorway through the Skryne valley which will impact severely on archaeological and historically important areas.

A huge new ceremonial ritual site had been found near Tara, measuring about 3 football fields in size and seems to have had ancient ceremonial functions. This will be destroyed, as well as much of the land in the area, if the government are allowed to continue with the M3 Motorway.

Right now, a report on the site has been sent to the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche and a decision is imminent on the fate of that site. This minister has repeatedly refused to re-route the motorway so it does not destroy the land near Tara or invest instead in extending the train line service in the area which would negate the motorway. Although the hill of Tara itself is not under immediate threat, extensive surrounding areas of historical importance will be lost and archaeological matter will be destroyed, sacred land will be overlain with motorway and a huge multi-lane road with floodlights and intersections will impact Tara directly with noise, light pollution and high volumes of traffic. It is the equivalent of bulldozing the valley of the Kings and overlaying it with concrete. All of this is being done in order to sell out land to make profits by private tolls on the motorway.

It is urgent therefore that renewed effort is made to voice the strongest possible opposition for the M3 motorway, especially as the minister is about to rule on the destruction of the latest find.

Please take 5 mins to send an email to Minister Dick Roche and/or the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern or write a letter and post it to tbeir offices to protest the Irish government's willful destruction of our most important national heritage sites. They are selling out the land to building contractors who will turn profits from tolls on the motorway. You will find info on that in the below URLs

Email:
dick.roche@oireachtas.ie

Postal addresses:
Minister Dick Roche,
Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Dáil Éireann
Dublin 2
Ireland

Also Secretariat of the Minister
Dick Roche
Dept of Environment Heritage and local government
Custom House
Dublin 1
Ireland

Telephone: (Minister's office) + 353 1 8882404 and 8882571

Prime Minister (An Taoiseach) Bertie Ahern
Dáil Éireann
Dublin 2
Ireland

There is a campaign running in protest, I attach links thereto as well so you can find updated info if you request it.

Petition to SAVE TARA & Save Tara campaign website
http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/

http://www.savetara.com/

Tarawatch website (with updated info on the site and tons of links)
http://www.tarawatch.org/

Irish Times Newspaper
If you wish to write to the major national newspaper letters page:
lettersed@irish-times.ie

Recent news on the site and the Minister's refusal to say whether he has ordered "preservation by record" (ie. destruction of the site after noting it exists)

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0502/meath.html

Please please write. It only takes a few minutes but you may make a difference.

Many thanks,
Beith

Moderators/Admin. I have posted this in the Action Alerts but I ask you not to move it or lock it from here due to the urgency of action requested and the fact that the AA page gets less attention than here or in the pub. we are on the verge of a destruction order from the minister. A huge volume of protest mail to the minister's office/Taoiseach's office can only help sway that decision. with best regards, Beith

Beith,
I looked at the petition and its wording seems to be aimed at citizens of Ireland. I feel uncomfortable signing a petition telling the Irish government how to spend (or not spend) their tax dollars. Are there any websites or special interest groups that are aimed at garnering international support for the cause?

Cactus Curmudgeon

[Beith]

HI Cactus,
Thanks for your reply. Yes the wording is more pertinent to citizens of course, but anyone and everyone is welcome to sign it and as you can see from the entries to date, it is fully global.

I posted the email address and postal address of the minister and Taoiseach as private emails can be sent directly there by anyone. The addresses are posted on the minister's website so everyone's entitled to mail/write.

The Save Tara campaign & Tarawatch websites I posted above are garnering international and local support and are keeping people updated with news, road plans, alternative road plans/train plans and protest info.
Please look at them for an overview and you will find plenty of information and contacts therein.

The newspapers here are receiving letters from all over the world  ...a wonderful letter from someone Canada was published the other day and many US citizens are involved.

Also just to say - it's not "their" tax dollars  - they are our millions of Euros that are being wasted on a road that is already overbudget, unnecessary and  in high court challenge at the moment as being unconstitutional. The campaign is not to totally scupper plans for a road, but to ask for its re-routing to preserve one of the world's most important heritage sites. The Irish people are trying to preserve what has been the place of highest status for kingship and druidry, history and mythology throughout the aeons. Our government are intent on destroying much of it for the sake of privatization of toll fees an unnecessary road.

Thanks for any support you can give. It will be welcomed. It is highly necessary at this time, given they are about to totally destroy the ceremonial site discovered last week and continue trenches through areas of rich archaeological significance.

best regards
Beith

[Beith]

hi Piastra...just saw your msg above

Could you copy it and post it for me there? (access problem with user ID)

Thanks in advance,
Beith

[OakWyse]

Sent today to Dick Roche:

At Tara

Ancient kings
beneath the sod of Tara lie,
the emerald turf itself
beneath a curving azure sky.
The sacred mould
a treasure holds,
of Eire’s golden past,
for heroes sleep beneath the sweep
of Tara’s grass.
And were it only ancient wars
that scarred this gentle plain,
and peaceful rest
for Tara’s blest assured,
then all the ancient sorrows
of the nation’s strife
were well endured.
O let them lie beneath the sky
and let the grass grow free,
and never let the memory die,
lest Tara cease to be.

Bill Melnyk, 2006

[fedelmia]

Oakwyse...
if that doesn't touch his heart then he has none!

~fedelmia

[Piastra]

it's done...

[Crow]

I have this day received a letter from the Emerald Isle (sacred birthplace of Our Beith) in response to the letter I sent last week. Although it was nothing more than the expected form letter acknowledging receipt of my missive, it does seem that government officials are required to respond to "real" letters in a way that they may not for the electronic variety.

Perhaps if you can take a few minutes to jot down a few words, address an envelope and lick a stamp, your letter might have more impact.

Keeping up the good fight!

[Beith]

Update information:

See post below with link to news item included. Please help!

[Beith]

Update information:

As of this Thursday, 14th June, a new government coalition is in place in Ireland, with "Green Party"ministers taking up positions including that of Minister for the Environment. Unfortunately, the outgoing minister Dick Roche, signed into effect, an order to proceed with the M3 motorway at Tara. http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0614/tara.html
This means that the newly discovered ceremonial site at Lismullen, beside Tara, will be destroyed as will large areas of land of sacred, historic and archaeological significance. This is an act of government authorized vandalism and the sell out of our heritage areas for profits from road contractors and tollbridge operators. Therefore a new wave of protest is urgently needed as a chance has opened up with the formation of the new government, to leverage focus on issues of preservation of national and global heritage.

Please take 5 minutes to write a letter and post to the below (as per today's recent post in Discuss Druidry). Postal correspondence is acknowledged and is a powerful means of exerting pressure on the government.

WRITE TO:

John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local government & Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister)

Postal Address: The Dáil, Leinster House, Dublin 2, Ireland

Cc (Copy to) ..just copy the list of ministers below on your letter as the correspondence should be circulated to all of them as the Tara/M3 issue impacts on areas of heritage, tourism, arts, culture, finance, transport and education.

Ministers:
Seamus Brennan, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism
Noel Dempsey, Minister for Transport
Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Rural and Gaeltacht affairs
Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science
Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Paul Gallagher, Attorney General.
Brian Cowen, Tánaiste (deputy prime minister)

Suggested topics to include in letter:

(a) voice disgust with the plans to put the M3 motorway through an area of prime importance in heritage,culture and history. This act is an outrage and a desecration of a sacred as well as historic sites of global, not just national importance.
(b) ask improvement and increase of railway lines in this area to take more commuters off the roads and re-routing/negation of the motorway.
(c) state that Tara is of world importance and the eyes of the world are on the Irish government and their actions in this matter.[/color]

Tara is one of the world's most historic places of celtic rule, kingship, druidry and is located in the old central royal province of Mide (County Meath), Ireland.  IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT A NEW LETTER CAMPAIGN PROCEEDS AS IT IS FAR MORE EFFECTIVE THAN E-PETITIONS. THE GOVERNMENT HERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE TOURIST INDUSTRY AND OUTSIDE PRESSURE. TARA AND SURROUNDING AREA, NEEDS YOUR HELP.

So please, please, write. EVERY LETTER COUNTS

Thank you so much for your help,

Beith

[firefly~*]

Update information:

As of this Thursday, 14th June, a new government coalition is in place in Ireland, with "Green Party"ministers taking up positions including that of Minister for the Environment. Unfortunately, the outgoing minister Dick Roche, signed into effect, an order to proceed with the M3 motorway at Tara. http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0614/tara.html
This means that the newly discovered ceremonial site at Lismullen, beside Tara, will be destroyed as will large areas of land of sacred, historic and archaeological significance. This is an act of government authorized vandalism and the sell out of our heritage areas for profits from road contractors and tollbridge operators. Therefore a new wave of protest is urgently needed as a chance has opened up with the formation of the new government, to leverage focus on issues of preservation of national and global heritage.

Please take 5 minutes to write a letter and post to the below (as per today's recent post in Discuss Druidry). Postal correspondence is acknowledged and is a powerful means of exerting pressure on the government.

WRITE TO:

John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local government & Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister)

Postal Address: The Dáil, Leinster House, Dublin 2, Ireland

Cc (Copy to) ..just copy the list of ministers below on your letter as the correspondence should be circulated to all of them as the Tara/M3 issue impacts on areas of heritage, tourism, arts, culture, finance, transport and education.

Ministers:
Seamus Brennan, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism
Noel Dempsey, Minister for Transport
Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Rural and Gaeltacht affairs
Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science
Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Paul Gallagher, Attorney General.
Brian Cowen, Tánaiste (deputy prime minister)

Suggested topics to include in letter:

(a) voice disgust with the plans to put the M3 motorway through an area of prime importance in heritage,culture and history. This act is an outrage and a desecration of a sacred as well as historic sites of global, not just national importance.
(b) ask improvement and increase of railway lines in this area to take more commuters off the roads and re-routing/negation of the motorway.
(c) state that Tara is of world importance and the eyes of the world are on the Irish government and their actions in this matter.[/color]

Tara is one of the world's most historic places of celtic rule, kingship, druidry and is located in the old central royal province of Mide (County Meath), Ireland.  IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT A NEW LETTER CAMPAIGN PROCEEDS AS IT IS FAR MORE EFFECTIVE THAN E-PETITIONS. THE GOVERNMENT HERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE TOURIST INDUSTRY AND OUTSIDE PRESSURE. TARA AND SURROUNDING AREA, NEEDS YOUR HELP.

So please, please, write. EVERY LETTER COUNTS

Thank you so much for your help,

Beith

this is sad, i would read liketo help and i acrtually feel obligatedt to, if I could make a difference. Althoug, I am not from Ireland and and don't know much about the history of Tara, I still have celtic heritage and I hate to see what is happening , I hope to visit the land someday. I don't really want to seem like another busybody American telling other countries what to do but oh well. I'm a bit confused on how to right the letter though. Where do we copy those names?

[CrowGirl]

Just finished typing my letter and it goes in the post tomorrow!

Having visited the Hill of Tara, I can't begin to imagine the effect of this construction project. The views were so timeless and sweeping, you easily could picture the land as it might have been ages ago.

Thanks for keeping this issue front and centre, Beith!

Vanessa

[Dragonshadow]

Have visited the area myself recently (stayed at the Rath Lugh camp)

Another website that may be interesting for you guys is http://www.tarapixie.net - that has plenty of videos and information on.

[Beith]

Hi Firefly,

apologies I didn't see your msg til now.

All letters are welcome and needed. In fact the more international ones received, the better, as the Irish government is more sensitive to pressure from outside our borders than within them. So please don't think twice about being "busybody American telling other countries what to do"(!), no one would think that for a minute. It is about people from around the world recognising the danger of destroying prime heritage sites that belong to world history and culture and the Irish government have no right to do that.

To write the letter, just address it as

To: Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach & Minister John Gormley

and then write CC: and just copy the list of names I posted above.

Send it to Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Dublin 2, Ireland

It will get to the right people.

If you wish to send a second copy for info to your Embassy then the address is
American Embassy
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4
Ireland

The more letter writing and continued pressure, the better.

Thank you and Vanessa and all who have written to date. We really really appreciate it.

Beith

[Crow]

Although this was posted elsewhere, I know this board is too big for all of us to see everything. Below is a letter that I wrote some time ago. Anyone wishing to do so has my permission to copy the letter and use it. Just change the information in the places where I've indicated in bold, sign, lick, stamp and send. Of course writing in your own words would be even better, but if you don't know what to say, or are looking to save time, feel free to use this example:

Today's date

Mr. Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach
Mr John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
The Dáil,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2,
Ireland

Dear Mr. Ahern and Mr Gormley,

I write to you today to voice my shock and opposition to the M3 Motorway and proposed destruction of the Lismullen ceremonial site. I am asking you to halt this disastrous policy and to stop the encroachment of the motorway upon the area of Tara, which is surely one of the most important historic and cultural landmarks in your country, if not the world.

As an YOUR NATIONALITY (if other than Ireland) it might be said that I have no business in the affairs of your country. But as a MAN or WOMAN who has an interest in Celtic heritage and spirituality, what happens to Tara and the surrounding area is very much my concern, and the concern of like-minded citizens all over the world.

Ireland always seemed different; Ireland, always seemed to be in touch with its past like no other place, and that mystique is part of what makes your land a special place. If the M3 Motorway is allowed to proceed through this sacred area, I’m sure you will have a very fine road, but a road is all you will have, for you will have destroyed a treasure that can never be replaced.

Don’t make the same mistake that leaders of my country and others have made. Honor the past and keep it alive for future generations who may treasure the sound of the wind through the thorn trees more than the sound of tires on hard, unforgiving pavement.

Visitors come to your country to see these special places in their wild beauty, not to experience motorways, traffic jams, fumes and pollution. We come to learn about the past and to enjoy experiencing the ancient heritage of Ireland that captures the heart and mind. We do not spend our dollars to visit miles of asphalt overlying the countryside and areas of historical and spiritual importance. We want to be educated in our ancestral past and have it preserved, not eradicated, especially when alternative motorway routes, train and bus connections can be instituted.

Your government has been given a sacred trust to not only serve the present and the future, but also to respect the past. In Tara, you hold a precious and fragile thing in your hands. Do not let the history books show that one of the world’s great treasures was destroyed on your watch.

Sincerely,


cc: Brian Cowen, Tánaiste
Paul Gallagher, Attorney General.
Seamus Brennan, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism
Noel Dempsey, Minister for Transport
Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education and Science
Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

[Beith]

thank you sincerely Crow, for posting this again and sharing it with others who will hopefully follow suit and write. Every letter is so important. It means a lot for international focus to be placed on Tara.

Really appreciate it

Beith

[Donata]

Our local pagan group celebrated Samhain together Wed. night. One woman, born in Ireland, led us in a ritual to save Tara, which was partly in Gaelic, with the rest of us repeating what she said (she also said it in English so we knew what we were saying). It was very moving for us. We also celebrated with a Journey to the Ancestors, including for many of us, ancestors from Ireland.

BB
Donata

[Aelfarh]

That's terrible news, I had no idea....

I already sign the on-line petition and plan to send a postal letter as soon as I can

Please Beith, keep us informed about this, and any other way we can help