!!!SAVE TARA CAMPAIGN- UPDATED LINKS!!!

[Beith]

Dear friends, (update for new address info, June 18th 2007)

Your help is needed to save one of the most important sites of Celtic heritage, history and mythology.

Tara, (Teamhair in Gaeilge) has been the focal point of Irish history, mythology and tradition for thousands of years. It was the seat of the high kings of Eire, the centre of rule for the Tuatha De Dannann, Milesian Celts and Fir Bolg of Irish mythology; the most important power centre of Druidry and early Christianity. It is one of the richest archeological landscapes of Europe and simply one of the most valuable world heritage sites.

The Irish Government are constructing a motorway passing within the region of Tara and Skryne Valley in County Meath, Ireland. The motorway will pass within 2.5 kms of this historic area, with an intersection 1.5kms from the Tara core region.This will irrevocably change the nature of the area, and cause untold loss of yet unexplored areas of archaeological as well as historical interest.

Additionally the motorway will run through nearby nature reserve and increase traffic, and destroy large sections of Meath Countryside.

An 80m wide 4000 year old ceremonial site has been discovered at Lismullen, adjacent to Tara. This is an invaluable source of information on our pagan past. IT WILL NOW BE DESTROYED BY THE MOTORWAY WORK sanctioned by the outgoing minister for the environment, before he left office last week (june 14th 2007). His decision MUST BE REVERSED - hence YOUR LETTERS OF PROTEST TO THE IRISH GOVERMENT ARE NEEDED RIGHT NOW!

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP (edit June 18th for update addresses)

Lobby politicians:
Send a letter of protest to the following:


To:

An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern,(Ireland's PrimeMinister)
Mr John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Dail Eireann, Dublin 2,
Ireland

These other ministers should be copied on the letter as a CC list as the issue touches on their areas of influence in tourism, finance, transport, enterprise, etc

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)

Additional contact info for telephone/email
TAOISEACH'S PRIVATE OFFICE
e-mail:taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Phone: +353-1-6194020 / 4021 / 4043
Fax:     +353-1-6764048

Mr John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Minister’s Office,, Custom House, Dublin 1, Ireland
Email: Minister@environ.ie


If you wish to also copy your embassies, then google "Name of Country" Embassy in IrelandIf you do write to your embassies, then ask them to forward the complaint to Bertie Ahern and John Gormley as above, to make sure the complaint is registered officially.

Here are the American and British embassy links.

British Embassy, Dublin
29 Merrion Road
Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Ireland
Tel: +353 1 2053700
http://www.britishembassy.ie/

U.S. Embassy, Dublin
42 Elgin Road
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4, Ireland
Telephone: +353 1 668-8777
Fax: +353 1 668-9946
http://dublin.usembassy.gov/contact_us.html

TARAWATCH
For news updates on Tara - please visit the campaign website

http://www.tarawatch.org/

Please help us save one of our greatest treasures. Tara is heritage for all of us.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! HELP SAVE TARA & SKRYNE VALLEY REGION!

Best wishes
Beith

[Beith]

Thank you Kernos! Buíochas!
Beith

[Blair]

Hi Beith.
I may have stumbled upon a formidable allie to help with the saviour of Tara! I put a general e-mail out to a seminar forum I belong to and a good friend replied from Hawaii with the following e-mail...

I am living in Hawaii right now and one of my good friends is Jim Valentine. One of the many philanthropic works he does is sponsor nature conservancy through art. It has worked very well in places all over the world. He has saved forests from Canada to South America. What he does is gather artist to paint the area. they all camp out and paint together for 3 weeks or so. The art is then used to highlight the beauty and sacred energy of the place.The Artist can capture "light" in a powerful way which transcends words. The news picks up on it and the government is forced to see the area in a different light. The art and book are used to raise money too. It has worked in all cases!
If you would like information about how he did it, or to contact him please let me know, Andrea Fono

I'm awaiting her reply with the contact details as I write. But even if these artists are not willing to come over the 'big pond', maybe we can round up some of our own?!

I'll be back here as soon as I hear! ; )

From beyond the mind... Love, Joy and Contentedness.
Blair

[Beith]

HI Blair!

Thanks very much for that! (sorry for the late response - I just saw your mail)

Please do indeed pass on details, it's a great idea, with your permission, I'd post it on the Taraskryne site (or you can do that?)

Thank you!
Beith

[Tigerna]

Dear Beith:

Thanks for posting the alert about saving Tara -- I just found out about it from the Irish Stones yahoo list, and logged onto the OBOD message board to post in here as well.

Are there any updates about the impact they expect the M road to have on the archeology and environment of the area? I was shocked that they would threaten an area of such obvious historical importance in this way.

If you organize anything with artists, let me know -- I'm a professional artist in the US, and might be able to help.

Beannacht,
Tigerna

[Blair]

Greetings Beith and Beannacht.

Some great news on the artists helping out.

I spoke to James Valentine last night, President of Quest Foundation, and he gave me some pointers on how to get this thing rolling, i.e. gather together artists to help save Tara.

Basically the two main points he suggests are finding at least one famous artist to come on board, then start to create a coalition between all and anyone, especially on a local basis and with non-profit organisations, to band together under one umbrella. This coalition can then help promote the artists.

Have alook at the foundation web site, so you can get more of an idea of what they have done thus far. James Valentine is very willing to help and advise on this and his foundation will certainly do the final publishing of the combined work of the artists. Understandably any of the foundation artist from abroad would need to have their travelling costs met if we wanted them to come over and join the party.

I'm not up on who is famous in the Irish/global art world, so maybe you could do that research Beith, or Beannacht?

First off, take a look at this site and then we can take it from there.
http://www.quest-foundation.org



Power of the Oaks to you.
Blair (UK)

[Tigerna]

Dear Blair and Beith:

Thanks for your hard work, Blair. I checked out the Quest Foundation website.

I do have a contact who is in charge of an artists' retreat in Ireland, and she might be able to help us gather more Irish artists. I would be very interested in coming over for this project.

Please let us know more details of how it would work contractually with the artists when you have the information.

Thanks very much! Beannacht,
Tigerna

[Beith]

Hi Tigerna,

Sorry I missed earlier mails on this and I haven't been in touch with the campaign folks for 2 weeks, I need to follow up on this.
I'll post info when I do, thanks for your offer of help and blair for your ideas - wonderful stuff!

Best wishes
Beith

[Blair]

Hey Beith,
No worries, more than happy to help. We have 3 quick questions for you. What gender are you, how do you pronouce your name and what is it's meaning? I got all muddled and thought Tigerna was male and also thought her name was Beannacht! I more the wiser now!

Tigerna is going to communicate direct with James Valentine at Quest Foundation. Seemed to make sense as she is an artist herself and will understand more of how it all works.

I have placed another seperate posting on the Action Alerts board to suggest to all the other places in need of saving that maybe the jolly band of artists can do the same thing with other causes, like Stonehendge for example.

Be well and beannacht!
Blair.

[Beith]

Hi Blair!
I responded to you privately on your questions
Best wishes
Beith

[Tigerna]

Dear Beith and Blair:

I already have one Irish artist interested. ;o) A good omen! I am also on the discussion email group for the TS foundation, and just posted an email there. I have emails out to other artists, and ideas for further contacts.

Perhaps we should start a new thread called "Artists For Tara" so as to catch the eye of any fellow artists on the OBOD message board?

All the best,
Tigerna

[Beith]

Gosh you are fantastic! Thank you!

Yes that's a good idea - separate thread. Let me get in touch with the Taraskryne.org and see if they have something similar going which we could join forces with. If not, then this is it!

Wonderful Tigerna and Blair!

Buíochas - Thank you
Beith

[rowan]

From Warband.org

"I have been asked to pass this on as they are collecting signatures for presentation to the Irish Government regarding the Hill of Tara. There is a lot going on over there at present, and they need your support in email form.

Please send and email as signature of support to cathbad@irishdruids.org including any relevent positions and titles etc.



Ag Seo Ár gCúram -- This We Hold in Trust.
Position Paper on the Island of Ireland and the Protection of Tara. February 2004.
In response to the proposed development and management plan of the Hill of Tara, and the planned M3 Motorway development to pass through the Tara/Skryne Valley, Conradh Draoithe na h-Éireann has prepared a statement of its position. This paper shall be presented to the appropriate government agencies and media outlets soon.
(Paper can be seen on Irish Druids )

So - please show your support.

Jon Randall
Battle Cheiftan,
King's Mail
Sub Editor Pentacle Magazine "

[yewtree]

Just to say the petition at http://www.taraskryne.org is now up and running

[Beith]

Hi Yvonne, thanks for posting that! I am just bumping up the topic!
best wishes
Beith

[Beith]

Dear all,

Please act on this. In the Save Tara post at the top of this thread, I have updated Government Ministers contact information, National Road Authority, Meath County Council (local government in Tara -Skyrne valley area)

Please avalanche them with letters, phonecalls, faxes and emails of protest about government plans to run the M3 motorway close to Tara.

Thank you,
Beith

[sidhe]

This, from the Save Tara elist. An open letter to Dick Roche.
The more voices heard in protest to these tactics - and to the propsed route of the M3, the better.
Peace
Sidhe/|\
From: "Dr. Muireann Ni Bhrolchain" <muireann@indigo.ie>
Subject: PRESS RELEASE - OPEN LETTER TO MINISTER ROCHE

Here is a copy of a letter that has just gone to Minister Roche in
response to remarks made in Meath and reported in the Meath Chronicle
last week.
Please use as appropriate. Thank you.
Muireann Ni Bhrolchain
087-9249510

Dear Minister Roche,

I was very disappointed when I read of your „scathing attack‰ on the
opponents of the proposed route of the M3 as reported in the Meath
Chronicle published June 22^nd 2005.

You have accused us of airing „untruths‰ and „a lack of
open-mindedness‰. At my meeting with you and the Taoiseach in May, both
of you commented on my being so reasonable

I told both of you the truth when I said that there would be no court
case if you moved the road out of the Valley. In a recent independent
survey conducted for Sacred Ireland, 7 out of 10 people believe the
motorway should be rerouted. I told the truth when I explained that 38
sites would require excavation and that the Tara landscape was the
archaeological, literary, spiritual and historical centre of our past. I
told you the truth when I said that the land in the Valley was being
bought for development particularly at Blundelstown and that no one
could stop this. This is already beginning.

I presented you with an alternative, a vision for Meath based on Brian
Guckian‚s integrated transport plan. There was no discussion of this
vision for Meath then and there has been none since. I suggest that it
is you and the Government who „lack open-mindedness‰.

You stated then and now that your decision was based on issues related
to archaeology and that you had little power. I explained then that you
had the power to declare all 38 sites national monuments and ask the NRA
and MCC to move the route west of the Valley. You have argued that the
planning process cannot be overturned. The planning process was
overturned, along with the County Development Plan in the case of
Woodstown in Waterford. The Taoiseach also changed the planning
permission to facilitate a concert in Slane last year. . Michael D.
Higgins has since stated that your powers are much wider than you admit.
I suggest that it is you and the Government who are airing „untruths‰.

You are reported as saying that it was obvious that many of those
leading the campaign have never been to Meath. This is nonsense. Of the
seven core committee members active in this campaign, 5 live in Meath,
some within a mile of Tara.

You have said that other countries can build infrastructure without
these objections. Other countries take heed of their cultural icons and
do not threaten them with tolled motorways

You have said that we have not taken part in the planning process ˆ the
chairperson attended the oral hearing as did other committee members.
Many other opponents were also present ˆ most of them local to Meath.
They were ignored.

Conor Newman who worked on Tara for 14 years and was nominated by the
Discovery Programme to give a submission to the hearing was also
ignored. No one in their right mind could have expected the Government
to choose Tara‚s landscape as the route for a tolled motorway. Again, I
suggest that it is you and the Government who are airing „untruths‰

You maintain that you have been „open-minded‰ in your consultations and
that the opponents to this route were not. You declare yourself
„astonished at their attitude and lack of respect of other people‚s
point of view‰ and you criticise an inability to see any „argument but
their own‰. I suggest that you show „lack of respect‰ in disregarding
me, STSV campaign, the experts, 320 academics worldwide and the Director
of the National Museum, who all asked you to re-consider the route. All
stressed being not against the motorway per se only against the section
going through the Valley. The Route Selection Report and the initial
archaeological reports also warned against this route. Indeed, the new
CEO of the NRA, Fred Barry, told my colleague Dr Edel Bhreathnach that
if the selection were taking place today *this route would never have
been considered*. If it is wrong now, it was wrong in the years 2000-03.
He also said that if the Government asked them to move the road that it
would be awkward but that they would have to do it. The Government has
the power to move this motorway. Why do you not choose to do so? Once
again, I suggest that it is you and the Government who are not
„open-minded‰ are airing „untruths‰ and are showing a „lack of respect‰.

The same applies to your lack of consideration of our suggestion that
the Tara landscape be designated a World Heritage Site and National
Park. Such a move would mark real „progress‰ and bring economic benefit
to Meath without the wholesale destruction caused by refusing to reroute
the proposed tolled motorway.

Indeed, the insistence on a tolled motorway rather than road
improvement, bus lanes, re-opening rail services, a World Heritage
Site/National Park is quite sinister. It appears that the decision to
have a tolled motorway predates the planning process and that you and
the Government had no intention of listening to any alternative

You deny being a philistine, a person „indifferent to culture‰ according
to the Oxford English Dictionary. This Government, of which you are a
part, has shown itself singularly indifferent to culture by dismantling
Dúchas and the Ministry for Culture. You maintain that you respect the
„heritage left behind by the people of 2,500 years ago‰. The heritage of
Tara stretches back 4,500 years and not 2,500 years.

If this is the face of new Ireland it is not a pretty one. The loss of
our language is leading to the loss of the meanings of our surnames,
personal names and place names and this ensures a loss of appreciation
of the wider cultural, spiritual and mythical environment. The
Government is choosing roads as the badge of our economic success rather
than Health or Education. What a legacy for future generations. What a
myopic vision for our country.

I ask that you apologise and retract the remarks that you have made
about me and other opponents to this route. We have declined from
launching personal attacks on those advocating this route despite many
stinging personal attacks made on us in public and in private. Our
arguments have been consistently made on the basis of sound
archaeological, environmental and historical knowledge. As citizens of
Ireland we are still entitled to protest and voice our opinions. Or do
we live in a banana republic?

Yours sincerely

Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin

PRO Save the TaraSkryne Valley Group

087-9249510

[Philip]

The bulldozers have started digging the topsoil. That is where the artifacts
are (think of all the treasures farmers have uncovered in fields over the
centuries). Despite the current lawsuit the ground breaking is going ahead
anyway. Assistance is urgently needed, letters, donations, or if you are in
Ireland you can join the protests.
Ellen

'Heed the People - Respect the Law - Stop the Dig - Save Tara!'

SOS - PLEASE HELP NOW - OR NEVER

The Tara campaign has become quiet of late, and it is time to mobilize
public support in a very public way. There has been a need to separate
litigation from the Save Tara Skryne Valley Group, in order to ensure
protection from liability for the members of the non-incorporated
group, who are not taking action, or directly supporting it. However,
a strong message needs to be sent to the Government, and to the nation,
that the people want the digs stopped. As you have seen, a new survey
shows the majority of Irish people are against the route, and thus the
excavation of Tara.

On June 14th, the Minister for the Environment, The Attorney General,
Meath County Council, and the National Roads Authority will come to the
High Court and give their first answer to the legal charges railed
against them. Certain procedural determinations will be made that way,
on how the case will proceed. One of the main issues, of course, will
be whether the authorities will stop work of their own accord, and
respect the legal process, or whether they will plough ahead, and the
judge will be forced to either issue an order or an injunction. The
fact that works are still continuing since the July 4th hearing in the
High Court, when leave was granted to review the lagality of the M3
motorway scheme, shows the contempt the authorities have for the law.
They must be shown up, for the cultural criminals they are.

A protest will begin outside the High Court on the morning of Thursday
14th July, at 9.00 am. It will continue throughout the day, until the
hearing is concluded. The hearing will begin at 11.00 am - and could
run into the afternoon.

Mass peaceful demonstration must happen, if it is ever to happen for
Tara. This is an opportunity to reverse the PR and lies being
circulated by the likes of Minister Cullen, Meath Chambers of Commerce,
IBEC, to the effect that only a small minority of troublemakers case
about Tara.

This must be a 'spontaneous' outpouring. We need a strong
representative group of Irish society there, including children,
housewives, businessmen, shopkeepers and old age pensionners to come
down and make their own sign. It is better that this is not seen to be
'organised' by Save Tara Skryne Valley group, since they are not taking
litigation. It must be representatives of ALL environmental, social
and political groups and PARTIES, who have an interest in this issue.

Please forward this mail. Please call your party, your boss, your
society and get a mandate to put out a call. This is the best
opportunity we will have for months. The world media will be watching,
and we have to shout now, as loud as we can.

http://www.hilloftara.info
_______________________________________
to send letters from abroad go to
http://www.taraskryne.org

[raeven]

Hi folks,

maybe my question is stupid, I wonder if they yet started with the roadworks or if protests were able to stop them??

[sidhe]

There's been digging - "test trenching" and such ... and the removal of topsoil (where artifacts are often found).
There is a court injunction in the works to stop all work ... but until it goes through, the developers can still work on the site.

Peace
Sidhe/|\