BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!

Subject: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Sabine
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 06:03 PM

Just today I got the information that the hill of Tara is threatened by a motorway which should lead through that area.
I am really upset!!!

I got the opportunity to publish an open letter from Mag.Dr. Raymund Karl, University Bangor to be found here
This letter is - of course - in English, so anyone here on the list will be able to read it :o)

There is also the chance to join an online petition

I'm sure a lot of Mudcatters will join.

Please join in and help to save Tara.

Thanks

Sabine

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 06:13 PM

I think they'll have serious problems with the Good Folk trying something like that.

Storyteller Eddie Lenihan can tell them stuff about that that they ought to pay heed to. He probably will too.

And here's a bit from that site I linked to, for those who are too much in a tearing hurry to press the blue clicky:

Eddie Lenihan's name traveled around the world not long ago when he protested to a group of highway developers in southern Ireland, that their destruction of a modest-looking hawthorn bush would cause grave danger to anyone using the new road to pass by—brakes could fail and lives might even be lost. The bush was a "fairy bush" and was well known as such in Lenihan's home county, County Clare. In the end, the developers decided to reroute the road and bypass the tree.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Strick
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 08:51 PM

I find it hard to believe that the Irish would let anything disturb the Hill of Tara. I can't believe the EU would let development affect a site that historic.

I can attest to the existance of this fairy tree. A couple of weeks ago we were on a coach out to visit Tara and Newgrange, riding down a four lane freeway as pretty as you please. All the sudden we detoured to the access road, up to a stop at the top of the overpass and back down to get on the freeway again. We thought the road was still under construction, but no, as we came down the overpass the driver pointed out the fairy tree sitting all alone surrounded by a dilapidated fence. The road was perfectly abandoned for about a quarter of the mile either side of this sorta ugly little bush.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Mr Red
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 11:09 AM

Trouble wish bush again?

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 05:44 PM

That'd be a different fairy tree. Always good to know there's one in the vicinity.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Jeanie
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 06:14 PM

The idea behind the "fairy bush" is also taken very seriously by roadbuilders in Iceland. See this article: Elves in Modern Iceland

Roadbuilding schemes are abandoned or diverted because of the presence of resident elves.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Gareth
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 06:41 PM

Hmmm ! - Could this be revenge against the builders of the M4, M5 and any other Motor Way -

for they scar the face of England,
For to make the Motor Way !"

Gareth

(A founder member of the 'Friends of the M4 West Bound !')

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 06:48 PM

Nonsense! They can easily reroute the road to a mile away from the monumnents, also the claim that there are more sites beneath the path of the proposed roadway begs the question - "Ok show us". OC the academics can't because they don't know, and are guessing from old records some of which are fairy stories.

My 10 cents, used take a day to drive halfway across Ireland then they upgraded the highways so it took about an hour, with the completion of the M3 that trip should be about half an hour- so the sooner the M3 is completed the better for everybody.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Gareth
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 07:19 PM

sorefingers -

The M3 reaches Pompey - Wots that got to do with Ireland ????

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 08:14 PM

So in half an hour you've driven halfway across Ireland instead of a quarter across Ireland. So what?

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 08:28 PM

They CANNOT, they WIILL NOT, destroy Tara....It will not happen.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: ard mhacha
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 04:17 PM

Sorcha, the news from todays Irish papers do not hold out much hope for Tara, according to Diarmuid Doyle in todays Sunday Tribune, he states, " There is no such thing as compromise once local authorities and the Department of the Environment decide a road should be built. They announce their plans, local residents come up with alternatives, these are ignored and An Bord Pleanala passes the original plans,". It is another instant of being unable to beat City Hall.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Peace
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 04:41 PM

I signed the petition. Hope it helps.

Here's another link to the petition.

www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/
www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Allan C.
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 04:50 PM

I'll think about it tomorrow.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Hrothgar
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 05:28 AM

Are we all sure that this is not somebody having a lend of us?

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 01:25 PM

No, it's true, apparently - at least the proposal part - dunno about the level of hype surrounding it.
Mind you, this is the Boyne Valley - you'd be hard pressed to turn a stone round there and NOT find something under it.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Ed.
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 05:10 PM

The petition says:

"The Hill of Tara constitutes the heart and Soul of Ireland. Its very name invokes the spirit and mystique of our people and is instantly recognisable worldwide"

Is it?

I'd certainly never heard of it before this thread. My girlfriend who is of Irish parentage and spent a good deal of her childhood in Ireland hadn't either. Nor had anyone I spoke to at work today: English, Scots, Welsh, Irish or Australian.

Without judgement, I'd suggest that the low number of responses to this thread says something...

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 05:18 PM

My seven year old neice, named Tara, after the Hill, can orate the mythology of the place wonderfully. Guess it depends what your parents feel is worthy of passing on.
I am amazed that your girlfriend was brought up there and missed the tales.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: alison
Date: 02 Mar 04 - 02:25 AM

Tara is an amazing site....... with huge amounts of land around it..... would be spoilt with a motorway going through there....

I have to admit I had never been there until the last time I went home for a holiday (I was determined to find it)..... brilliantly understated... not much in the way of signposts or anything... but the pure majesty of the place is amazing......

Tara
map of monuments
mound of the hostages and other boyne valley sites

fibula is right... the whole of the boyne valley is full of ancient things...... Newgrange is amazing

I signed the petition


slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: ard mhacha
Date: 02 Mar 04 - 06:32 AM

Ed, Hit a few of the blue clickys above and gain some knowledge, while you are at it, you can print them out and read them to your girl friend.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: GUEST,Séamas Mac ......
Date: 02 Mar 04 - 08:11 AM

Tá an Teamhair 'na féar, agus feach ar an Traoi mar atá.....

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Ed.
Date: 02 Mar 04 - 03:57 PM

ard mhacha,

Having never heard of the 'Hill of Tara' when I first saw this thread, I did some research via Google etc.

There are certainly many fascinating tales, and much that I'd like to learn more about.

What annoyed me was the assertion that the Hill of Tara is instantly recognisable worldwide

It clearly isn't.

Whether it should be is an entirly different question.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: ard mhacha
Date: 02 Mar 04 - 05:17 PM

Ed, I suppose living on the edge of Europe dosen`t help, I was sent a brochure from England for a book on Illuminated Manuscripts, now to describe a wide range of books including The book of Lindisfarne, etc, and not incude The Book of Kells is an amazing oversight.
This is common with our learned friends in Britain, they tend to dwell on the Saxon finds at Sutton Hoo, whilst ignoring such magnificent objects as The Ardagh Chalice, The Derrynaflannn Chalice,the ornamental brooches, the sculptered work on the 10th century high crosses, all part of Irelands magnifcent contribution to early art.
It has to be said if you don`t advertise your magnificent past and its treasures there is every chance someone else may claim them.
So it is with Tara and the Boyne Valleys rich heritage, I do hope you have heard of some of the above, if not, with the help of Google or some other search engine you will be further rewarded.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 04:12 PM

I find it amazing that there are people who actually comptemplate ruining a treasured national site for what boils down to money. I am saddened to find out we don't just have greedy, souless developers here in the U.S.A. I signed the petition and hope many moroe will as well. Neil

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: ard mhacha
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 05:52 AM

Irish Sergeant, They have become greedier in the land of the Shamrock, it is said that todays gombeen men would concrete over their mother`s grave in the pursuit of money.
The only Irish treasures the louses are interested in is what they put in their off-shore assests.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 03:58 PM

Ard Mhacha;
Just another reason for Good people the world over to vote the rat bastards out any chance they get. May the devil have them a half hour before Heaven knows they're dead. Kindest regards, Neil

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: GUEST,Hillman Hunter
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 03:39 PM

Sure, the road is passing close to the ancient hill. It's further away than the road beside Stonehenge.You'll see the little cars driving in the distance but it should'nt disturb the magic on the summit.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: GUEST,Seosamh Mac Grianna
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 08:50 AM

I don't think they'll just be 'little cars', Hillman, and I have seen more than one programme on the damage those little cars do to the area around Stonehenge..

The Hill of Tara is one more 'Fertile Rock', in the long history of the Depertment of Public Works, and should be left as much alone as it is humanly possible to be.

Subject: RE: BS: Hill of Tara threatened by a motorway!
From: alison
Date: 09 Mar 04 - 07:09 PM

I was very disappointed when I saw Stonehenge...... I wasn't expecting to see it right next door to a dual carriageway!!

The "Irish Echo" newspaper in Australia, had an article about Tara last week... they likened it to the Ozzies wanting to build a ring road around Ulhuru (Ayres rock)

slainte

alison