Battle rages over Irish Celtic site

[UncleSepp]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/01/30/news/irish.html

Battle rages over Irish Celtic site

Proposed highway route is near burial place of 140 kings

TARA, Ireland Ancient England may have Stonehenge, but ancient Ireland has the Hill of Tara. The 6,000-year-old sacred site in the middle of quiet rolling fields is revered here as the burial place of 140 kings, and as the formative birthplace of this land's national identity.

Modern Ireland also has Dublin, whose growing metropolitan area is home to about 1.5 million people out of Ireland's population of close to 4 million. The city's expansion is causing a clash that is affecting the entire country, as lovers of the mythical and prehistoric Ireland try to preserve the tranquillity of Tara as local residents of the area struggle to commute to the capital on antiquated and inadequate roads.

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The highway's proposed route has it passing Tara, about 2.4 kilometers, or 1.5 miles, to the east, and carving through a valley that contains some of the oldest archaeological sites in Europe.

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Supporters of the four-lane road, which is 65 kilometers long and has a budget of about €700 million, or $900 million, counter that it does not threaten the hill itself. They point out that alternative routes pass unacceptably close to dozens of houses.

For crying out loud! Dozens of houses? The houses are replaceable. Isn't it possible to buy those houses and help the residents relocate? Perhaps even move the houses, depending on what kind of houses they are, of course? There must be money available to help pay for the cost of the houses in order to save the archaeological sites, whether public money or private money, and to pay the difference in cost between a route that would destroy history and a route that would preserve it. That the future comes at the expense of the past is in some sense unavoidable, but this is just sick and sad.

[Maeve]

1. Ah, NIMBY strikes again!

Having lived "unacceptably close" to freeways here in the States, I suspect it's the break in the pastoral view they fear. they moved out there for the country and here comes the city, intruding!

I'd side with the historical conservationalists, but you already knew that.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. JMJ, what a bunch of eejits! Move the damn houses

and preserve the Hill of Tara! I can't believe there's even a question about what's right. I guarantee that if the land where the houses are located was wanted by a utility company or a mining company or to build a sports arena, they'd be snatched up in the name of eminent domain (if Ireland does things like the U.S.)