Irish and Irish-American DUers: Help save the Hill of Tara

One of the most sacred and historically significant sites in Ireland is due to be bulldozed to build a new highway. Please help save the "Irish Stonehenge" from the bulldozers.

From TaraWatch.org:

"Nowhere else in Ireland is there a landscape that can claim the Tuatha de Danann, Celtic Gods and Goddesses, St. Patrick, Daniel O'Connell, Thomas Moore, heroes and High Kings from Fionn MacCumhail
to Brian Boru, an archaeological complex of temples, tombs, enclosures and henges spanning five millennia, and a continuous place at the centre of Irish spiritual, cultural, political and literary history, as part of it's fabric."



http://www.petitiononline.com/hilltara/

http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/tara/threat.html

http://www.tarawatch.org/

Disclaimer: I am not Irish nor Irish-American. But I have lots of friends who are, and other friends who are archaeologists. They are all outraged at the prospect of this site being destroyed.

If so, problem solved. Just station a few preservation-minded Irish in front of the wrecking crews with rifles in their hands, forcing a stalemate, and let the development commission sort this one out.

even think about doing this. Talk about killing the goose that laid the golden egg!

Does anyone know how to put a bug in Ted Kennedy's ear about this? If there's anyone in US govt that can fire up the Irish-American community, it's Teddy.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/

LINKS: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/links

PHOTOS: http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/photos

That's just insane!

And I've added mine. Thank you!

But I'll still help.

I wasn't aware of this before just now. It should be criminal to destroy such a rich, historic artifact.

This can be stopped if enough people can stand up and do something about it. Please use any connections you have into the Irish & Irish-American community to spread the word about this outrage.

It sure couldn't hurt.

Hi,
My name is Vicki Rourke and I'm one of the archaeologists working to organize the resistance to the Tara Skryne Roadway in a big way. I am working with my mentor, Dr. Ronald Hicks to create an educational package to help universities, schools and just plain folks to do much more than sign a petition (which is cool) but TaraWatch back in Ireland needs CASH to pay for litigation opposing this road and Rallies and Demonstrations to be held here in the USA and reported back to one central locus, so we can
be certain that Peoples like the Minister for the Environment like Dick]Roche know that we are watching and angry about this proposed roadway.

Dr. Hicks' statement on Tara recently appeared on the cover of the Irish Times and can be found an the TaraWatch website. Dr. Hicks and I are working with Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch in Ireland. What we are trying to get the Irish powers that be, to understand is that Tara is not just a Hill, but rather it is part of a large archaeological complex that dates back, in some instances 5000 years! There are at least 38 known sites on the roadway itself. It is safe to say without exaggeration that Tara is as important as the Valley of the Kings in Egypt! It is listed as one of the most important endangered archaeological sites on Earth. This road construction needs stopped and rerouted! the situation has become desperate because no matter how much resistance the Irish people show, big money and the Dublin Establishment pushing this issue forward.

For more info and a way to donate directly to TaraWatch in Ireland feel free to email me! We will soon have organizational packets available to help you carry on the fight wherever you are. If you are in New England PLEASE email me, we will be publicizing, rallies, lectures and other fund raisers soon!
Thanks and slan lat,
Vicki Rourke
Lairden at Verizon dot net.

Like U2, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Day Lewis, Roma Downey, Enya, Bob Geldof, Sinead O' Conner - you know people who probably have a liberal/preservationg-leaning bent?

From Tommy Makem's Secret Ireland:

"Tara was the seat of the high kings of Ireland during its most glorious days, the first centuries A.D., but it was a place of importance since 2000 B.C. and remains a place of importance to the people of Ireland. After Christianity was introduced in Ireland, Tara's influence slowly declined, but it was not until 1022 that it was totally abandoned."

Makem quotes a few lines of a poem translated by Edward Gwynn: "Tara, though she be desolate today, once on a time was the habitation of heroes" and ends with this: "Tara reigned supreme in glory down the centuries. In the hearts and minds of the people of Ireland it remains glorious and mystical."

Thank you to everyone who supports this.

Are we Americans just more passionate about our Irish history than the Irish?

As you say, this spot is... well, *central*.

Good grief!

Hi,
My name is Vicki Rourke and I am a friend of Rox63. I am a semiretired archaeologist and I am working closely with Vincent Salafia, the brehon (attorney) brains behind TaraWatch in Ireland. During a recent conversation with Vincent he relayed to me that there is a desperate need for the fighting Irish-American Spirit. There is a desperate need for demonstrations and fundraising to happen all over the United States. I am working on organizing the Greater Boston Area. I will update Roxanne and this blog ASAP!
Slan lat,
Vicki Rourke
Lairden at verizon dot net

I always had faith that the Irish would never sell out when it came to their heritage. It will be a sad day indeed if the Hill is destroyed for a damn Highway. I'm not even Irish, in fact I'm part English, but I have been there and I was enchanted by the landscape and the history.

- signing and passing on to my Irish and Irish-American Friends.

honored every inch?

Every inch USED to be honored, but with economic success and Ireland's new status as the monied "Celtic Tiger", ancient sites are in jeapordy. A medieval castle has been bulldozed already and many tradtional cottages have been torn down for McMansions....sigh!
Vicki Rourke

And for what? Roads and condos?

submitted a story to the Irish Echo? My subscription has lapsed, but it is the best Irish-American paper, and has a large, active readership.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. :hi:

What a disgrace. x(

"met" over the years who would be very interested in this, I think.

The more people we can get involved, the better.

Rox63 is like a sister to me and by all means post this everywhere, and if you are serious about joining this struggle email me, Vicki Rourke, Lairden at verizon dot net!
Slan,
Vicki

Patrick's rune:
At Tara today in this fateful hour
I place all Heaven with its power,
And the sun with its brightness,
And the snow with its whiteness,
And fire with all the strength it hath,
And lightning with its rapid wrath,
And the winds with their swiftness along their path,
And the sea with its deepness,
And the rocks with their steepness,
And the earth with its starkness
All these I place,
By God's almighty help and grace,
Between myself and the powers of darkness.

Based on the Lorica of St. Patrick:
...I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock....

:grr:

And hopefully doing a bit more to help very soon...

Something about this just doesn't smell right.

but they're building a motorway in the same valley, with a large floodlit junction within a couple of km.

They are not directly bulldozing the Hill of Tara, but the Hill is part of an archaeological complex. The proposed roadway will directly go through at least 36 known sites that are part of the Tara Complex. It's all deeply interconnected!
Vicki

have been conflicts that involve "progress" and Native American sites that are supposed to be protected, the construction companies involved have "environmental impact statement' maps which highlight various sections of the area in various bright colors. Their goal is to make it appear that the land has distinct, unrelated spaces within a region. It is the exact opposite of what is true, of course -- not only in the sense of an archaeological study, but even more so in the sense of the people who inhabited those spaces.

it seems incredible, but go to the websites Rox has posted or email me at Lairden at verizon dot com. It is a tragedy. If you are in New England you can meet archaeologists in person at a rally or lecture that will be held this fall!
Vicki

I thought it meant that they would be bulldozing the actual site itself. Being Irish and Pagan it tugged at my gut.

I'm going to check out the websites. Even if the road in not on it directly and is just close to it still would mean the loss of some important history.

Has your organization been in touch with Pagan groups? If not, I suggest getting www.witchvox.com to post an article on it. They get quite a bit of traffic from the Pagan community.

I knew I had to go there, it is an incredible place and must be preserved to the maximum degree possible. Nothing can restore the power of that valley after it has been desecrated.

i think they are useless spam-catchers. if you had a name and address, i think folks of irish heritage might have a little sway. tourism is a big part of the economy.

http://www.tarawatch.org/

Do you consider the Irish Times (see articles at site above) a reliable enough source of information?

if you want to know more contact me at Lairden at verizon dot net. Email Vincent Salafia in Ireland by going to TaraWatch and ask if he is aware of Ron Hicks and Vicki Rourke organizing in the USA. We are not useless spammers. Dr. Hicks can be contacted through Ball State University, Muncie IN.
Tourism was once part of the economy, but considering that one Medieval Castle, and countless thatched cottages have been bulldozed, the powers that be in Ireland are more concerned with high tech. Some see the past as a symbol and want to be more modern. They are embarrassed of the past.
Somewhere on the TaraWatch website there is a copy of the fairly new Irish law that allows for this sort of destruction!
Thanks for your interest,
Vicki

not dissing the story, just looking for something a little more effective to do about it than signing an online petition.

I hope you don't mind but I sent it to everyone I know. Good Lord, governments are losing their minds. The insanity here must be catching.

:kick:

And thanks DU'ers for recommending! I'll bet the freeper sites don't give a rat's tail about saving Tara. Freeper Moran: "Uh, who's Tara? Is she hot?"

K&R!