Over 1500 people from across Ireland and beyond, gathered at the Hill of Tara to take part in a living human sculpture to call for the rerouting of the M3 away from the Tara Valley.

It was magical, yes, driving up to Tara and getting stuck in an unforgiving traffic jam, to photograph a very special moment where over 1500 gathered to tell John Gormley and Bertie Ahern, to reroute the M3. The event was to start at 3pm, but hundreds were there 2 hours in advance. French, English, Irish and other unknown tongues wafted in the flurry of excitement as people examined their tickets discussing which letter in the living protest they would be. One child's birthday present was participating in the living sculpture.

When the helicopter arrived, all bets were off as hundreds rushed to see it land. One woman with a child on her back ran in vain after another two shouting "don't go near the blades!" There were plenty of stewards holding back the tide of incredibly keen onlookers.

On the ground there was a great leap of faith as to what would emerge from their choreographed contortions. From the air ,the voice of Ireland spoke out: moving, twitching, questioning and resisting the policy of Fianna Fail/Possessive Democrats/Green Party and big business interests. The issue of the M3 is not dead. It is very much alive. The battle is not over!

(Images © Paula Geraghty)

Related Links: Averting our eyes from Crime at Tara | Photo Essay: Tara Under Full Moon | Government Creating 'Facts On The Ground' At Tara Hill Complex Despite Huge Opposition | Stop Wasting Public Money on Wanton Destruction of the Tara-Skryne Valley | Heed the People - Respect the Law - Stop the Dig - Save Tara! | On The Road to Hell - The Battle to Save the Tara-Skryne Valley Begins | Tara - N3 - Widen The Road Instead. Traffic, Cars and Peak Oil | Save Tara Website | More on Tara from the Indymedia Vaults

"Whilst Tara relies on its rich literature and associations, those that are insistent on this route rely on our ignorance of this same rich literature and associations. Whilst there is an almost unique abundance of history and lore associated with Tara, our Government has neglected it whilst sites such as the Céide Fields and Brú na Boinne have flourished, been respectfully developed and protected. Hopefully Cú Chulainn may yet be saved from turning in his grave, literally, during the valley's excavation."

Despite widespread opposition from hundreds of academics worldwide, from the Director of The Irish National Museum and from those activists bringing upcoming legal challenges (which have experienced delays) to the routing of a new tolled motorway through the Tara-Skryne complex, the Irish Government is creating facts on the ground by pushing ahead with hasty and crude excavations of the many sites of archeological interest on the proposed route.

The Tara-Skryne Valley Group, the main activist group opposing the planned motorway have called on the government to halt their pre-emptive work and to stop wasting Irish taxpayers money on wanton destruction of a whole area which they believe should be protected as a National monument.

Meanwhile the mainstream media here looks away and has largely failed to let the people of the country, who according to a recent poll are absolutely against this motorway, know that digging at the Tara complex has already begun.

Campaigning against government sanctioned heritage destruction at the Tara complex will continue on Monday 15th August when concerned citizens are being invited to express their opposition to the proposed twice-tolled Motorway through the Gabhra (TaraSkryne) Valley. The event, dubbed 'Tara Day' by campaigners, marks the 162nd anniversary of Daniel O'Connells famous Repeal Association 'Monster Meeting'. Information will be available at the event on the 38 sites along the proposed route, including those presently being excavated and others that may be investigated in the future.

Some Activists who are involved in the campaign link the issue to peak oil, the countdown to $100 per barrel oil, and criticise the insanity of massive private investment in tolled motorways at the expense of public transport which is severely underfunded at the present time.

Others adopt a more pragmatic approach and ask straightforwardly why a 2 1/2 km shorter and uncontentious alternative route (see orange line on this map), which would cost less, avoid costs associated with hasty archeology and which would most likely not be subject to delay and public expense due to court challenges was not chosen. This question remains unanswered in any coherent way and has led to the increased voicing of suspicions that vested interests have driven the route selection for commercial gain.

Some activists also believe firmly that corrupt officials and property speculation are behind this almost unbelievable slicing up of one of the most ancient and key symbols of the Irish nation.

Full Indymedia Ireland Archive On This Issue
Map 1: Note Huge Bevy In Current Route Between Dunshaughlin And Navan
Map 2: Note More Direct And Cheaper To Build Alternative Route In Orange
Essay: The White Mare Of Tara
Crazy Cut MP3: Tara Tune From Coscan

The brutal physics of modern traffic was borne in on me in a raw way standing by the busy Navan road just north of Tara yesterday evening for an hour while the latest protest against the proposed new motorway was in progress. This is an experience you don’t get driving along in your Toyota Corolla.

"What is your name and where are you from?" a policeman asked me when I rolled down my window at a checkpoint on the Kingscourt Road out of Navan last night.

"Sean Crudden from Jenkinstown, Dundalk," I replied fearlessly.
Garda: "Where are you coming from?"
SC: "From Navan - or rather from Maynooth."
Garda: "What were you doing in Navan."
SC: "I was at a protest against the new road."
Garda: "Were you protesting?"
SC: "I wouldn’t say I was protesting exactly - but I was there,"
I said with some trepidation.
Garda: "What were you doing there then?"
SC: "I was with my son. He helped publicise the protest."

"Well I disagree strongly with the protest," the policeman opined and the atmosphere thawed.

Hill of Tara (top) clearly visible from M3 construction site in the the Tara-Skryne Valley

More Tara News: *Co Meath Sinn Féin County Cllr. Joe Reilly (SF) On The M3 Interchange / Debate On Campaign Tactics *Indymedia Tara Archive *Upcoming Tara Related Protests

Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin, PRO of Save the Tara-Skryne Valley Group writes:

''Further photographs taken Saturday July 16th show more caterpillar marks on the 15 foot high topsoil grinding down any possible finds that might emerge. The large digger on site has been replaced by a much smaller one but the marks of the caterpillar wheels clearly show that they were caused by a much larger machine. The test trenching report stated that there was an expected “19 century (?) house” on this site and this is carefully marked out on site. But this is not to say that other materials are not hidden in the topsoil of what is recognised as one of the richest archaeological landscapes in Europe.

Most archaeologists agree that 50%-80% of artefacts are found in the topsoil. If another Derry na Flann chalice or a Tara brooch appears there is not much hope of finding it crushed beneath one of these monster machines.

The Minister of Environment has shown that he is no such thing. We have no Minister for Heritage. The Ministry that M.D Higgins so carefully built up has been destroyed, Dúchas is dismantled and the NRA is given responsibility for archaeology. The same NRA along with Meath County Council are completely insensitive to the concerns of the local people over the methodology employed here. Where is the Research Documentation that should accompany such a dig?

Public money is being wasted on this unnecessary excavation. This is not proper research archaeology. This is wanton destruction and vandalism of our most important archaeological, literary, historical and sacred landscape and it must be stopped now.''

From a Concerned Commenteer: 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 (PDF here / Methodology here) 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.