SAVE TARA - YOUR HELP NEEDED RIGHT NOW

[Andraste]

Many of us have been campaigning for over a year to protect the area being affected by the motorway - but we are meeting in Grosevenor Place to peacefully protest at 12 noon, Friday 13th.

http://www.londontown.com/LondonInforma ... /1195/#MAP

So, if anyone is going, as I say, do let us know so we can meet up with you - or look out for me at least, I shall [most likely] be the only one in my shaman white robe with swan feathers - I would like to present the Irish Embassador with a Swan feather, to remind him of the sacred loyalty and faith he should be encouraging his government to show on behalf of his ancestors, mine too for I have Irish ancestory on my mother's side - swan: loyalty, bravery, strength of purpose and integrity and in this instance, to use his instinctive intuition to know what is the right course of action.

From the Tara Watch website, great news  recently that the World Monument Fund agreed to take on Tara as a monument in peril, and members of the New York based Fund, whose representatives were met in London by Andred, Dazem and others of TaraWatch, are going or have gone to visit Tara.  Also, we have been writing to our MEPs to complain as there is a European Directive to protect such historical and sacred places.  My own MEP Giles Chichester has written back to me that he is monitoring the questions laid in from of the EU Commission by himself and other MEPs on our behalf - quote from Tara Watch website:
http://tarawatch.org/?cat=15

Tara ‘crisis’ gets international recognition

The Hill of Tara was recognised last week as an endangered site due to government proposals to route the M3 motorway around it

Sunday Tribune
10 June 2007

Isobel Hayes

FOR the tireless campaigners at the Hill of Tara, it’s been a week of ups and downs. Last Wednesday, it was announced that the World Monuments Fund (WMF) has  included the heritage site in its watch list of 100 most endangered sites.

“It’s fantastic news for us,”said Salafia, head of the TaraWatch campaign. “It shows the world and the rest of the country that we’re not just a bunch of cranks and that this is an internationally-recognised crisis.”

Unfortunately, on this sunny Saturday morning, it is looking as if the Green Party may not re-enter talks with Fianna Fail and the Green Party is very important to the Hill of Tara campaign.

As the group of campaigners gather at the visitors’ centre, they take a long look at the rolling green hills of Tara, where the last battle of the Fianna took place in 3500 BC.

“It’s inredible to think that anyone could even consider putting a big floodlit motorway down there,” said Laura Grealish. “We’re disappointed about the Green Party talks breaking down but Labour also said they would re-route the motorway so we can still hope.”

That hope became stronger with the news that the Hill of Tara is now an internationally recognised endangered site due to Government proposals to pu the M3 motorway close to it.

The WMF has also helped save about 450 irreplaceable sites around the world, including the vast temples of Angkor, Cambodia, and the historic centre of Mexico City. The New-York-based group has a 75% success rate but already it has expressed concern that Tara may prove to be beyond even its influence.

“The president of the organisation has said that Tara will be their biggest advocacy challenge yet,” said Salafia. It makes no difference that minister for transport Martin Cullen is pictured in the WMF brochure taking part in an event.

“The government has continuously failed to protect this site or consider the many alternative routes that are open to them.”

This morning, there are more protestors from America, Britain and Poland than there are from Ireland. The Tara situation has made a bigger impact abroad than it has in its own country.

“We’ve had our own problems in the UK, but nothing like this,” said Natasha Kenyon, from the heritage site of Amesbury in England. “The Irish are bulldozing their own history. Has there not been a national outcry?

There hasn’t really - mainly, said Salafia, because of the success of the National Roads Authority in convincing the public the motorway will not go near the heritage site.

“They even made a DVD about it. But the motorway cuts right across the lower part of the hill. There’s no denying it.”

The recent discovery of an ancient wood henge at Lismullen, along with the remains of a large dog, which have now been removed, has given greater strength to the Tara campaign. Close by this site, protestors remain camped out in the woods on ‘construction watch’. Every morning at 6am they attempt to prevent construction continuing.

“Have you brought any milk?” long-term protestor Dan Moloney asks Salafia as he approaches the campsite. “Oh well.”

By the summer solstice on 21 June Moloney will have been camping in Tara for a year. “I gave up my job on an oyster farm to come here. I feel it’s more important.

Polish archaeologist Martin Sawiski arrived six months ago and has stayed to help the campaign in every way he can.

“Do you remember when the Buddha statute was bombed in Afganistan in 2001 and there was international outrage?” he said. “This is the very same.”
   

It was mentioned on Radio 4 today so a friend told me, I missed it - perhaps we will get some pubilicity on Friday, I have telephone English Heritage to ask what their definition of an artefact was, and they were amazed at what is happening to Tara, cant interfere of course.

Please send us good thoughts if you cannot come, Tara belongs to the world, we need to be seen to be saying we are here to protect the sacred places of the world.

in love and peace

Andrate

[Gina the Weaver]

thanks for the posting, I had actually come to the board to put the same message up, I'm glad it is already here.  their is a benefit gig in bristol at the Eldon House Pub, Clifton on sunday 22nd July, see myspace.com/eldonhouse, im doing some music/poetry mix.
also, will be writing letters for sure & looking into going over there, (bit harder to do).
by synchronious magic, I stood on the Hill of Tara in 1992 and had it all to myself for 20mins,  still remembered.  special place.
I agree with the other comments re destruction of heritage that is Eire's & the worlds.  from a hard headed tourism/financial angle,  I think the irish government are shooting themselves in the foot by ruining this area, it's so much more attractive in it's relatively unspoilt condition, it's the spiritual/historical aspect of the damage that hurts me the most.
peace, gina.

[Beith]

Hello all,

thanks for your help and attention. Update information follows:

Destruction continues at Tara-Skryne (Gabhra Valley)

On Monday 4th July, at 4am, the Baronstown archaeological site was bulldozed and entirely destroyed by government contractors. This was a huge ceremonial area, even larger than the recently discovered 4000 year old 80 metre Lismullen henge. It was to have been given national monument status, but is now gone forever.

This is an ariel shot of the excavation area before it was destroyed. Now it is rubble and dirt and waiting for asphalt and tarmac.

http://www.savetara.com/statements/0704 ... stown.html

Lismullen (Lismullin), a huge pagan ceremonial site near Tara is under the same threat of being "preserved by record" and bulldozed to make way for the road since the order of the last minister for the Environment. I understand the matter is now in the EU commission and Ireland has been sent a warning that destruction is illegal, but so far there has been no reverse decision on this motorway route and no stopping of the destruction of our most sacred pagan sites.

This is what they are doing:[photo by Paula Gerhity, per Irish Times newspaper] http://tarawatch.org/?page_id=397

A protest march is planned in Dublin on Sat 21st July 2007. A new round of letters to flood the government offices would be highly timely. Also emails to the EU Environment commissioner Stavros Dimas, whose office I believe have sent a warning to the Irish government that destruction at Lismullen is illegal.

Please write.

Minister John Gormley (Minister for the Environment)
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (Prime Minister)
Dáil Éireann
Leinster House
Dublin 2
Ireland

Stavros Dimas, EU Environmental Commissioner
stavros.dimas@ec.europa.eu

it would be good if your letter to the Irish goverment was sent also by email copy to the EU commissioner perhaps, so that they are aware of international focus on the Irish gov.

Many thanks for your help

Beith

[Philip]

SEE:

http://www.bleeding-green.blogspot.com

[Ghostrider]

A bright initiative:

Hi everyone,

My co-author and I are mostly lurkers here, but wanted to announce
something we're doing in support of the activists and Tara. We are unable
to be at Tara in person now, so we wanted to give other folks some things
to do from afar - both practically and spiritually.

This is the announcement we've been sending out.

On Samhain night, Oct. 31 2007, people all over the world will be
uniting in a ritual to help protect and preserve one of the most
sacred sites in Ireland, and indeed the world: The Hill of Tara and
the surrounding Skryne Valley, in County Meath, Ireland.

In the time of our ancestors, Tara was the center of a ritual complex,
where signal fires were lit to mark the holy day, and whose light
spread out from hilltop to hilltop across the land. Now, the center
has been neglected, so much so that some think it is no matter to
desecrate it. So we meet on Samhain to add our energy and prayers to
help revitalise and resacralise Tara.

In the past, the signal and sacred flames were taken from Tara; but on
Samhain we will all unite to send the power and blessings back to
Tara, to rebuild the source. We will light our individual fires on
hilltops and in fields, and in homes around the world. We will have
people climbing the surrounding hills all across Ireland, and in many
countries the world around. We will unite our flames with the center.
We will unite to protect Tara.

Read more at Hi everyone,

My co-author and I are mostly lurkers here, but wanted to announce
something we're doing in support of the activists and Tara. We are unable
to be at Tara in person now, so we wanted to give other folks some things
to do from afar - both practically and spiritually.

This is the announcement we've been sending out.

On Samhain night, Oct. 31 2007, people all over the world will be
uniting in a ritual to help protect and preserve one of the most
sacred sites in Ireland, and indeed the world: The Hill of Tara and
the surrounding Skryne Valley, in County Meath, Ireland.

In the time of our ancestors, Tara was the center of a ritual complex,
where signal fires were lit to mark the holy day, and whose light
spread out from hilltop to hilltop across the land. Now, the center
has been neglected, so much so that some think it is no matter to
desecrate it. So we meet on Samhain to add our energy and prayers to
help revitalise and resacralise Tara.

In the past, the signal and sacred flames were taken from Tara; but on
Samhain we will all unite to send the power and blessings back to
Tara, to rebuild the source. We will light our individual fires on
hilltops and in fields, and in homes around the world. We will have
people climbing the surrounding hills all across Ireland, and in many
countries the world around. We will unite our flames with the center.
We will unite to protect Tara.

Read more at Hi everyone,

My co-author and I are mostly lurkers here, but wanted to announce
something we're doing in support of the activists and Tara. We are unable
to be at Tara in person now, so we wanted to give other folks some things
to do from afar - both practically and spiritually.

This is the announcement we've been sending out.

On Samhain night, Oct. 31 2007, people all over the world will be
uniting in a ritual to help protect and preserve one of the most
sacred sites in Ireland, and indeed the world: The Hill of Tara and
the surrounding Skryne Valley, in County Meath, Ireland.

In the time of our ancestors, Tara was the center of a ritual complex,
where signal fires were lit to mark the holy day, and whose light
spread out from hilltop to hilltop across the land. Now, the center
has been neglected, so much so that some think it is no matter to
desecrate it. So we meet on Samhain to add our energy and prayers to
help revitalise and resacralise Tara.

In the past, the signal and sacred flames were taken from Tara; but on
Samhain we will all unite to send the power and blessings back to
Tara, to rebuild the source. We will light our individual fires on
hilltops and in fields, and in homes around the world. We will have
people climbing the surrounding hills all across Ireland, and in many
countries the world around. We will unite our flames with the center.
We will unite to protect Tara.

Read more at http://www.paganach_d.com/tara

At the end of the pre-ritual briefing we've posted information on how
to help physically - by writing letters, sending money, calling with
moral support, or going and standing in front of bulldozers. Our
other offering is this ritual, which I wrote together with my friend
and colleague, Raven nic Rhóisín.

Note - I will be adding more graphics and smoothing out the visuals of
the website a bit more in the coming days, but all the info should be
there. We welcome your feedback! If you plan on participating in the
ritual, please consider letting us know. We may be posting a list of
participants on the site. If you write us, let us know how you'd like
to be named. We suggest using one of the formats in the ritual,
explained in under the "Introduce yourself (threefold) and Lighting
the Signal Fires For Tara" instructions on the pre-ritual briefing
page ( http://www.paganach d.com/tara/ pre-ritual. html ).

Slán!

-Kathryn NicDhàna

cross-posted to a handful of other places. feel free to re-post this message and link to the ritual on the website.

Trí caindle forosnat cach ndorcha: Fír, Aicned, Ecna
"Three flames that illumine every darkness: Truth, Nature, Knowledge"


From the Tara-Yahoo group.

[Lorraine]

I was just going to post the paganachd Tara ritual on this thread, when I realised it's already mentioned on here.

I'm going to give it a go on the 31st. Is this in the rituals and meditations folder too? If not I may crosspost (hope that's OK on this occasion, it's for a good cause after all).

Lorraine

[Philip]

Irish Times - 27/12/07

'Lismullin site handed over to road contractors'

The Lismullin archaeological site in Co Meath has been handed over to
the contractor building the M3 motorway, the National Roads Authority
(NRA) has confirmed. The move means the controversial roadworks may
begin on site immediately.

NRA archaeologists have already studied the site, which includes a
number of stake holes forming an enclosure. Carbon dating suggested
they were likely to be at least 2,000 years old.

A souterrain from about the 10th century was also discovered on the
site. Archaeologists said it was possibly used for defence during the
Viking invasion.

The archaeology had also been the subject of a study by an expert
group set up by Minister for the Environment John Gormley to
determine how best to proceed, once the prehistoric nature of the
site had been determined.

The expert group which included Conor Newman, the State's foremost
archaeological expert on Tara, and Dr Pat Wallace, director of the
National Museum, advised that the archaeological remains were in
a "very vulnerable condition". This meant they could not withstand
preservation in situ and, therefore, "excavation is desirable and in
the best interests of the archaeological remains".

Efforts to contact Mr Newman and Dr Wallace were not successful
yesterday, but the department's website noted the 2,000- year-old
remains were "too fragile to remain in situ and must be recorded and
removed".

It added that "preservation in situ of Lismullin is not an option".

A spokesman for Mr Gormley said the department was not in a position
to answer detailed questions on Lismullin yesterday, given the
holiday season.

Mr Gormley has consistently maintained that he does not have the
power to re-route the motorway and has accused critics of confusing
preservation orders with directions that the route be changed.

However, campaign group Tara Watch has expressed its dismay at the
news that the site has now been legally handed over to the contractor.

Spokesman Vincent Salafia told The Irish Times the move had been
anticipated for January 8th next, and demonstrations in Dublin and
Belfast had been planned.

He said the Minister's view was "absolute rubbish" and it
was "completely misleading and false" to suggest Mr Gormley had no
powers with regard to halting work at Lismullin.

Mr Salafia pointed out that the European Commission was taking a case
against Ireland based on a claim that there should have been a new
environmental impact assessment made before a decision was made with
regard to Lismullin.

© 2007 The Irish Times

[Philip]

Irish Indo - 27 Dec 2007
Expert claims road authority ignored advice on Tara
By Paul Melia
Thursday December 27 2007
AN EXPERT in charge of ensuring a national monument, discovered on the
route of the controversial M3 motorway was properly excavated, has
launched a blistering attack on the State and its agents.
Dr Conor Newman, who stepped aside from the advisory committee on
November 20 last, accused the Government of ignoring expert advice about
the significance of a 2,500-year-old monument found at Lismullin in Co
Meath.
And he said the road builders, the National Roads Authority, had
"wrecked" the monument, which will be covered by a road in the coming weeks.
He said the NRA had ignored expert advice that anything discovered in
the Tara Skryne Valley was associated with the Hill of Tara, widely
acknowledged since early last century.
Earlier this year, a pagan ritual site was discovered along the route,
and former environment minister Dick Roche ordered that the road be
built over it following its excavation.
"I went up to give some advice on the monument. I wasn't going to play
politics, but I felt I could stay on the committee to advise on the
excavation," Dr Newman said.
"When it got to the point where the excavation was nearing completion, I
felt it was time to go.
"In spite of all the advice, they still forged ahead. We had a
ridiculous situation of no willingness to adjust the road even slightly.
The casualty has been the truth, and the objective assessment of the truth."
Environment Minister John Gormley said last night he was "sad" to hear
of the decision, but it was something he "understood fully".
"I was conscious in asking him to serve on the committee that I was
potentially putting him in an uncomfortable position because of his
long-standing principled opposition to the road proposal," the minister
said.
- Paul Melia
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Gormley Must Order A New EIA At Tara
Scoop.co.nz
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01212.htm
Thursday, 27 December 2007, 10:21 pm
Press Release: tarawatch.org
Gormley Must Order a New EIA at Tara
TaraWatch is calling on Minister Gormley to order a new Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) for the M3 motorway and the Hill of Tara
archaeological complex, before construction becomes irreversible.
The European Commission for the Environment filed a legal action against
Ireland in October on these exact grounds, in light of the discovery of
the national monument at Lismullin, earlier this year. Commissioner
Dimas has written to the Minister and ordered that a new EIA be performed.
Possession of the site of the Lismullin national monument was handed
over to SIAC Construction last week, by the National Roads Authority,
after being hurriedly excavated, but construction has not yet begun on
the site.
The Lismullin national monument has just been voted one of the Top Ten
Most Important Discoveries of 2007 by the Archaeological Institute of
America, in the January/February issue of Archaeology Magazine, along
with sites like the Solar Observatory at Chankillo, Peru; Urbanization
at Tell Brak, Syria; Homo habilis & Homo erectus remains in Kenya and
new discoveries at Greater Angkor, Cambodia.
http://www.archaeology.org/0801/topten/
An International Day of Protest will be held on January 8.
Demonstrations will be held at Dail Eireann and Stormont in Ireland.
Irish embassies will be picketed in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and
Los Angeles in the US, as well as in Australia. A large demonstration is
also planned for the Taoiseach's speech to the US Congress, early in 2008.
Vincent Salafia said:
"It is astounding that Minister Gormley would allow one of the top ten
most important archaeological discoveries in the world, in 2007, to be
bulldozed here in Ireland, under the cover of the holiday break.
"Minister Gormley must either use his ministerial powers immediately to
order a new EIA, or resign his position as Minister for the Environment.
If he allows this to go ahead he's blown all credibility as Minister.
Laura Grealish said:
"The NRA were not supposed to hand over Lismullin until January 8, but
they have done it early, to facilitate demolition over the holidays,
when nobody is paying attention.
"We are going ahead with international protest plan for Jan 8, and
calling on our many supporters, including Bono, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan
Rhys Myers, Stuart Townsend, the Chieftains, Seamus Heaney, Paul
Muldoon, Louis le Brocquy, and Robert Ballagh to come out in support.