An Appeal for Reason From the Government
The following statement is an expression of the worldwide concern about the routing of the M3 through the Tara/Skryne Valley. It stresses the importance of the landscape and the negative impression of Ireland likely to ensue from a decision to build the motorway through this landscape. It was issued on 30 March 2005
Over the past number of years the debate regarding the routing of part of the M3 motorway through the Tara/Skryne Valley has concentrated on archaeological, economic and traffic considerations. As teachers and researchers of various disciplines including Celtic Studies, Irish History, Irish Literature, Historical Geography, Theology, Linguistics and Anthropology we feel compelled at this stage to widen the discussion beyond archaeology.
The weight of anthropological, historical and literary evidence proves that Tara is a site of special significance and of international importance from early history to the present. I
ndeed this was acknowledged by two Taoisigh, Eamon De Valera, who visited the Hill of Tara when excavations were undertaken there in the 1950s, and Charles Haughey, when he initiated the Discovery Programme in the early 1990s. The flagship project of the state-funded Discovery Programme since then has been the Tara Project undertaken by scholars such as Edel Bhreathnach and Conor Newman.
The existence of a wider landscape beyond the Hill of Tara can be clearly deduced from Ireland's extensive medieval historical and literary sources. To deny this wider definition of Tara amounts either to ignorance or wilful misinformation.
We ask the Government to pose the question: is it an enlightened decision to knowingly take this landscape – the premier landscape within Ireland since the Neolithic period – and cut a motorway through it?
How can it be justified in what is now one of the richest countries in Europe that such a sensitive landscape is destroyed rather than subjected to proper landscape management that would change it into an economic asset – as has been done with the comparable landscape of the Boyne Valley?
If the motorway is constructed as currently planned, what does that say to the world about the cultural sensitivity of the Government?
We appeal to the Government to take an enlightened step and reverse the decision to route the M3 through the Tara/Skryne Valley. In a cultural context, such a move would demonstrate to the world Ireland's mature approach towards balancing necessary infrastructural development with the preservation of its valuable heritage.
the Individuals who signed the statement:
Prof Tomás Ó Cathasaigh, Henry L. Shattuck Professor of Irish Studies, Harvard University
Dr Cornelius Buttimer, Irish Department, University College Cork
Prof Alan Titley, Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach
Dr Eamon Ó Cíosáin, Dept of French, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Dr David Edwards, Dept of History, University College Cork
Dr Máire Ní Neachtain, Roinn na Gaeilge, Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál, Ollscoil Luimnigh.
Prof Fergus Kelly, School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Dr Niocholas Canny, Depart of History, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Prof Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, Ass. Prof, Dept of Irish Folklore, University College Dublin
Breandán Ó Buachalla, Professor of Irish Language and Literature, Keough Institute for Irish Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA
Prof Neil McLeod, Murdoch University, Australia
Erich Poppe, Celtic Studies, Philipps-Universitaet Marburg, Germany
Prof Séamus Mac Mathúna, University of Ulster, Coleraine
Dr Aisling Ní Dhonnchadha, Roinn na Nua-Ghaeilge, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Prof Kathryn Conrad, Associate Professor of English, University of Kansas
Prof Ronald Hicks, Prof. Anthropology, Ball University, Indiana
Dr Séamus Mac Gabhann, Dept of English, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Prof Doris Edel, Prof. Emeritus, Celtic Language and Civilisation, Utrecht
Dr Donncha Ó hAodha, Roinn na Sean agus na Meán-Ghaeilge, National University of Ireland, Galway
Dr Brian Ó Curnáin canúineolaí, Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath
Kevin Murray, Roinn na Sean-Ghaeilge, University College Cork
Dr Máire Ní Annracháin, Roinn na Nua-Ghaeilge, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Dr Colmán Etchingham, Depart of History, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Prof Joseph F Nagy, Depart of English, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr Lise Bakke Brondho, Administrative Head of Studies at the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, University of Oslo, Norway
Dr Catherine Swift, National University
of Ireland, Galway
Dr Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Cambridge
Ass. Prof Jan Eric Rekdal, University of Oslo, Norway
Prof Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha, Dept of Old and Middle Irish, National University of Ireland, Galway
Dr Jacqueline Borsje, Celtic Studies Research Institute for History and Culture, Utrecht University
Dr Peter Denman, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Gwendal Denis, Head of Breton Dept Rennes University
Dr Alexander Falileyev, The Ancient Celtic Place-Names of Europe and Asia Minor Project, Dept of Welsh, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Dr Inge Genee, Celtic Studies, Dept of Modern Languages, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Dr Rijcklof Hofman, Project Moderne Devotie, Tutus Brandsma Instituut, The Netherlands
Dr Bart Jaski, Celtic Studies, University of Utrecht
Ailbhe Mac Samhráin, Research Fellow, Monasticon Hibernicum Project
Máire Mhic Samhráin
Dr Ranke de Vries, Celtic Studies, University of Utrecht
Tom Finan, Director of The Center for International Education, Webster University, St Louis, Missouri
Tatyana Mikhailova, Faculty of Philology, Department of Germanic and Celtic Philology, Moscow State University, Russia
Máire Ní Bhaoill
Brendan McConvery, C.Ss.R., Dean of the Faculty of Theology, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth
Elva Johnston, University College Dublin
Dr John Bradley, History Department, National University of Ireland, Galway
Prof José Lanters, Dept of English, Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Prof Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Dept of Early Irish History, National University of Ireland, Galway
Prof Donncha Ó Corráin, Dept of Early Irish History, University College Cork
Brian Donovan, Eneclann Ltd/Archive CD Books Ireland
Ann Dooley, University of Toronto, Canada
Michael Clarke, Classics Dept, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Conchobhar Ó Crualaoich, Logainmneacha
Ruairí Ó hUiginn, Ollamh le Nua Ghaeilge National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Tadhg Ó Dúshláine, Roinn na Nua
Ghaeilge, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Maeve O'Brien, Classics Dept, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Dr Mary Condren, Centre for Gender and Women's Studies, Trinity College Dublin
Prof David Wilson, University of Toronto, Canada
Prof Mairin Nic Dhiarmada, University of Toronto, Canada
Prof Brent Miles, University of Toronto, Canada
Connell Monette, University of Toronto, Canada
Sarah Sheehan, University of Toronto, Canada
Jennifer Reid, University of Toronto, Canada
Geraldine Fogarty, University of Toronto, Canada
Maire Johnson, University of Toronto, Canada
Giselle Gos, University of Toronto, Canada
Anna Matheson, University of Toronto, Canada
Jean Talman, University of Toronto, Canada
Dr Aidan Breen
Dr Laurence Cox, Dept of Sociology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Dr Chandana Mathur, Dept of Anthropology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Dr P Ó Dochartaigh, Roinn na Gearmáinise, Ollscoil, Uladh, Cúil Rathain, Doire
Dr Deana Heath, Dept of Modern History, Trinity College Dublin
Dr Páidrigín Riggs, Roinn na Gaeilge, University College Cork
Dr Marie-Therese Flanagan, School of History, Queen's University, Belfast
Dr Mary Corcoran, Dept of Sociology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Dr Grigory Bondarenko, Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Martin Holland
Michael O'Hanrahan, President, Group for the Study of Irish Historical Settlement
Dr Linda Doran, Member, Group for the Study of Irish Historical Settlement
Mr Bill Doran, Member, Group for the Study of Irish Historical Settlement
Charles Doherty, School of History, UCD
Dr Raymond Gillespie (beidh an a theidil ceart agat)
Bernadette Cunningham, Micheal O Cleirigh Institute, University College Dublin
Dr Edel Bhreathnach, Micheal O Cleirigh Institute, University College Dublin
Professor Thomas Charles-Edwards, Jesus Professor of Celtic Language and Literature, University of Oxford.
Dr Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin, Celtic Studies, National University of Ireland, Maynooth