TaraWatch Looks Across the Atlantic for Support

TaraWatch Looks Across the Atlantic for Support

Epoch Times - Apr 14, 2009 - By Martin Murphy

The M3 motorway is still under construction but TaraWatch have not given up their hopes of saving the Irish historical site called "The Hill of Tara" and surrounding monuments; help may be on its way from across the Atlantic. TaraWatch Public Relations Officer, Vincent Salafia, has just finished a publicity tour of the United States, where he met with representatives of both archaeological and Native American institutions.

I asked the TaraWatch representative why he felt he had to travel abroad to get support even though we had the Green Party in Government here in Ireland. Mr Salafia said with respect to the Green Party “They have been absolutely abysmal ... Tara was on the table when they were negotiating their terms for government ... the Greens basically traded off our backs. “We feel very betrayed by the Green party and we do not hold out any hope that they will do anything proactive in terms of saving Tara.”

While in the USA Mr Salafia met with the World Monuments Fund, in New York City, after submitting the nomination for the Hill of Tara to be on their 2010 List of Most Endangered Sites (Tara is on the current list.) “We were trying to mobilise them and get them involved in the UNESCO confrontation by supporting our argument.” TaraWatch's argument being that the motorway should be re-routed rather than having a UNESCO site with a motorway running right through it. Mr Salafia said “We are afraid that what will happen here in Ireland will be similar to what happened in Stonehenge in England, the motorway was completed and then UNESCO said the motorway had to be moved. “So it could be economically viable to move the road here now even though it's under construction, we still have not given up on the campaign.”

Mr Salafia explained that while in the US he made a presentation to the Council on Archaeology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and asked them to sign a statement calling for the M3 motorway to be re-routed, before Tara is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vincent Salafia told The Epoch Times that he was also trying to drum up support from the likes of Mr Daniel M. Rooney the next United States Ambassador to Ireland. According to Mr Salafia a number of US bodies have made statements on the issue which can be found on the Save Tara website www.hilloftara.info. “There is massive interest and support from Irish American and indeed all Americans, particularly the academics... the Smithsonian Magazine recently listed Tara on their ten must see sights before they disappear.”

Mr Salafia also met with representatives of Native American tribes, and proposed a gathering of indigenous peoples on the Hill of Tara, during Heritage Week, in late August. TaraWatch is currently in talks with indigenous peoples in Australia and Africa, as well as North America and Canada, regarding the proposed event. It was Mr Salafia hopes that with this new support a process of engagement and problem solving could restart.

Video of Jonathan Rhys Meyers protesting on Hill of Tara, Ireland, against M3 motorway

Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Stuart Townsend on the Hill of Tara

Irish actor

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, of The Tudors, is interviewed by Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch on the Hill of Tara, Ireland and speaks out against the M3 motorway plan which will 'urbanise' the area. Taken during the making of a human harp being, consisting of 3000 people, being photographed by John Quigley on 23 September 2007.

Click here to view video [Filmed by Mel Cannon of Cannon Productions]

View slide show of images taken during the making of the human harp

Listen to audio of radio interview with Vincent Salafia

Aerial images by Paula Geraghty

Irish Times - Breaking News: Eco-groups protest at talks exclusion

Photo: Friends of the Earth

Irish Times - Breaking News: Eco-groups protest at talks exclusion

Last Updated: 15/02/2007 06:45

Environmental campaign groups will today protest at Dublin Castle against their exclusion from social partners' discussions. Friends of the Earth and Tarawatch are to picket outside the first plenary meeting of the social partners under Towards 2016, which will be opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern this morning.

Friends of the Earth claims the Department of the Taoiseach has twice turned down written requests from environmental organisations to discuss their participation in the talks.

"It's absurd that environmental groups are being locked out of social partnership at a time when climate change and energy sustainability are looming large," said Oisin Coughlan of Friends of the Earth.

"When this government was first elected it promised to put the environment at the heart of public policy.

"Now, with Ireland's climate pollution spiralling out of control, Bertie Ahern is refusing to allow environmental groups take part in Towards 2016 discussions. Meanwhile, scientists are telling us 10 years is all the time we have left to stop climate change running out of control," he said.

The organisation is asking all social partners to support the inclusion of environmental groups in the Partnership process.

Tarawatch, which is campaigning to protect the Hill of Tara from the M3 motorway, is also working with other groups in drafting an EU complaint about the exclusion of community environment groups from Social Partnership.

"This is illegal under the spirit and letter of EU law, as well as the principles of Agenda 21 and sustainable development," added Vincent Salafia of Tarawatch.

“Instead of consultation and negotiation, we have restriction of information and non-participation.

“We are left with little option but to pursue grievances through the courts, such as at Carrickmines and Tara.”

Friends of the Earth said the Social Partnership meeting comes the day before the Environmental Protection Agency is due to release figures showing that Irelands’ greenhouse gas emissions have risen to 25% above 1990 levels, almost twice the rise the Government committed to under the Kyoto Protocol.

Evening Echo News: Green groups protest at talks exclusion