Heritage site protection urged

This from an article in the Irish IUndependent April 14th, 2010.

Conservationists have hit out at Green Party leader John Gormley over a shortlist of seven renowned sites put forward for world heritage status.

Campaigners from Save Newgrange and TaraWatch accused the Government of failing to protect Newgrange, which already has the coveted Unesco title and one of the latest nominees, Tara, the seat of the high kings of Ireland.

The controversial M3 is passing just under a mile from the ancient hill, while other contentious plans have been drawn up for the N2 Slane bypass only 1,600ft from the Newgrange-Bru na Boinne complex.

Vincent Salafia said: "We support the nomination of the Hill of Tara as a world heritage site, but only on condition that measures are taken to mitigate the damage caused by the M3.

"The proposal for the N2 Slane Bypass is in direct contravention of Unesco's instructions, to limit development 'in and around' the site. We are also going to demand that Ireland is forced to amend the National Monuments Act, since the current act does not give adequate protection for any world heritage site in Ireland."

The Government's "tentative" list includes Georgian Dublin, known as the Historic City of Dublin; extensive Stone Age settlements on the Ceide Fields in north-west Mayo; the Burren, Co Clare; the monastic city of Clonmacnoise; western stone forts including Dun Aonghusa in Aran; early medieval monastic sites Durrow, Glendalough, Inis Cealtra, Kells and Monasterboice and already nominated Clonmacnoise; and the royal sites such as Tara, Cashel, Dun Ailinne, Hill of Uisneach and the Rathcroghan complex.

Mr Gormley, who announced the shortlist, said: "Our heritage properties are our legacy, not just in Ireland but globally."

Ireland already has three Unesco sites - the Giant's Causeway in Co Antrim, listed in 1986; the Bru na Boinne-Newgrange complex, protected in 1993; and Skellig Michael off Co Kerry, included in 1996.

In the Government's nomination it states the royal sites, such as Tara, are "unique expressions of Irish society".

Save Newgrange and TaraWatch plan to make presentations to Unesco officials on the roadworks around the sites when the World Heritage Committee meets from July 25-August 3 in Brasilia.