TaraWatch has decided to oppose Minister for the Environment, John Gormley’s plan to make Tara a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after attending the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Quebec, and consulting with legal and heritage experts. Minister Gormley announced in April 2008 that he has retained a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the official Advisory Body to UNESCO, to assist with the UNESCO nomination.
The reasons for opposing the plan are as follows:
1. Although the Hill of Tara cultural and natural landscape is undoubtedly a site of ‘outstanding universal value’, worthy of inscription, the M3 motorway will drastically diminish the integrity and value of the site.
2. Ireland has been in breach of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, since it signed the Convention in 1992, by failing to nominate Tara before now. A UN report have shows Ireland failed to use its national inventory to nominate sites.
3. UNESCO may require that the M3 is moved, once Tara is inscribed, like they did at Stonehenge, where the British Government is now facing a billion Pound bill to alter the adjacent roads.
TaraWatch will oppose the Ministers plan, in the following ways:
1. Lobby UNESCO and ICOMOS to intervene in the situation now, and require a re-routing of the M3 before inscribing the site. Otherwise it is likely the will inscribe the site, and then require the M3 to be moved, like they did at Stonehenge.
2. Rally international support, from organisations such as the World Monuments Fund, the World Archaeological Congress, the European Association of Archaeologists, and the Archaeological Institute of America, who have already issued statements on the current plan.
3. Take further legal advice, in relation to the matter, with a view to obtaining a declaration that the Ministers actions are in breach of Irish and international law.
4. Commission consultants reports to prove that the M3, combined with UNESCO inscription, would have a severely detrimental effect on the site, due to associated commercial development.
5. Hold public events in Ireland. Plans will be discussed in detail at a TaraWatch public meeting, to mark the beginning of Heritage Week, to be held at the United Arts Club, 3 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, beginning at 6:00pm on Monday 25 August. A discussion will be followed by music and poetry by musician and RTE radio personality, Melanie O’Reilly and friends.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:
“Gormley’s plan is likely to cost the taxpayer another half a billion Euro, because once UNESCO inscribes the site it is very likely they will then require the M3 to moved, like they did at Stonehenge.
“He is walking the taxpayers into a money pit.
“We are going to take every possible action, with international support, to oppose the Ministers plan.
“UNESCO have stated that they cannot act until Minister Gormley makes an official nomination, and he is clearly waiting until the M3 is a fait accompli.
ENDS
Contact: Laura Grealish 087-972-8603 / Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365
NOTE TO EDITORS
Heritage Week will take place in Ireland, 24-31 August. A number of events will take place on the Hill of Tara. Heritage Week is part of European Heritage Days ”Once a year, citizens in 49 countries celebrate Europe’s cultural heritage. This initiative of the European Heritage Days, launched by the Council of Europe in 1991, has been since 1999 a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission.”
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