The new Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, must act immediately to amend the National Monuments Act and the Planning and Development Act to comply with EU law and save our important cultural and archaeological sites.

The National Monuments Act of Ireland has been found to be in breach of EU law in two separate European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings, and Ireland will face fines of up to €33,000 per day if it does not comply. National monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites are at currently risk after the ECJ found in March 2011 that the decision made by then Minister for the Environment Dick Roche, to demolish the Lismullin National Monument at the Hill of Tara in 2007 was in breach of EU law.

Save Newgrange is calling on Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, to present the National Monuments Bill 2010 to the Dail for passage. The Bill was approved by Cabinet not long before a General Election was called in 2010. The Bill had been drafted after extensive public consultation, which took place between 2007 and 2010, and it provides the level of legal protection required by EU law. However, Minister Gormley and the Green Party failed to present the National Monuments Bill 2010 to the Dail before they were removed from Government in the 2011 General Election.

The two European Court of Justice cases against Ireland, which require amendment to the National Monuments Act and the Planning and Development Act are:

Case C-50/09 – Commission v. Ireland (3 March 2011)

On 3 March 2011, the European Court of Justice ruled against Ireland in a case brought by the European Commission, which alleged that the National Monuments Act (2004) is in breach of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, 85/337/EEC. The issues involved included: Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Obligation of the competent environmental authority to carry out an assessment of the effects of certain projects on the environment – Need to ensure an assessment of the interaction between factors likely to be directly or indirectly affected – Application of the directive to demolition works.

In May 2007,works on the M3 motorway were halted after TaraWatch informed the National Museum that a major archaeological site had been discovered by the National Roads Authority (NRA) at Lismullin, close to the Hill of Tara. The 2,000 year old ‘henge’ site had not been previously detected, despite two major archaeological surveys of the route. Other remains, including spectacular rock art and ‘souterrains’ or underground dwellings were also discovered. The site was later be hailed as one of the Top 1o Most Important Discoveries in the world for 2007, by Archaeology Magazine.

On 12 June 2007 Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, declared Lismullin a ‘national monument’, but gave directions under Section 14 the National Monuments Act for the site to be excavated and then demolished, to allow the M3 motorway to proceed. It was one of his last official acts, before handing over his office to the new Minister for the Environment, John Gormley of the Green Party, who immediately claimed that he could not undo the order.

In July 2007 EU officials called on Minister Gormley to halt to the works at Lismullin, but were ignored. Instead Minister Gormley proceeded to defend the Order, after the European Commission wrote a “reasoned opinion” to the Government in June 2007. The Commission warned the Government that the policy in relation to assessments was in breach of EU directives and demanded that an Environmental Impact Assessment be carried out on the site before any decision to demolish it was made.

The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament also visited the Lismullin site in June 2007, and in July wrote to the Irish Government, demanding an immediate stop to the M3 works at Lismullin. Minister Gormley ignored this demand, actually claimed that he didn’t even know that the Commission had ordered works to halt until he read about it in The Irish Independent on 30 August 2007. After salvage excavations were competed, the Lismullin national monument site was handed over to Ferrovial construction company in December 2007, and completely demolished shortly thereafter.

Case C-66/06 – Commission v. Ireland (Nov 2008 & March 2011)

The Commission won a case against Ireland, in the European Court of Justice, on 20 November 2008, on issues of: Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Directive 85/337/EEC –Assessment of the effects of projects on the environment – Consent given without an assessment. The Commission had argued that the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001 (S.I. No 600/2001), as amended, was in breach of the EIA Directive, by failing to establish adequate thresholds, which require Environmental Impact Assessment to be performed on public and private developments. This resulted in natural and archaeological sites being damaged.

In February 2011, the European Commission petitioned the ECJ to impose fines on Ireland for failing to properly implement the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive. The Commission won the original case against Ireland, in November 2008, but then Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, failed to rectify the law before leaving office.

The Government is required under the directive on the assessment of the environmental impact of certain public and private projects to set up a system to decide whether an environmental impact assessment study is required before authorisation. Under the directive, the decision on when such an assessment is required can be made according to set thresholds, case-by-case analysis or other criteria in line with EU criteria. In its 2008 ruling, the Luxembourg-based court found that Ireland’s thresholds were too high for setting out when an environmental impact assessment is required for water management, irrigation and land drainage projects and the restructuring of rural landholdings, which was resulting in the loss of important natural and archaeological heritage sites.

Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, failed to change Irish law to comply with EU law, and the European Commission was forced to initiate a second law suit against Ireland, in February 2011, seeking fines against Ireland for it’s failure to implement EU Law. In the new case against Ireland the commission will ask the court to impose a fine of €4,000 for each day since the court ruled against Ireland on November 20th 2008 and for each day until the court issues a new infringement ruling. Any failure to comply with a new ruling should be punished by a fine of €33,000 per day.

Minister Hogan called on to improve environmental protection

Since the new Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan (FG) took office in February, 2011, community-based campaign groups from around Ireland have called on the Government to ratify a United Nations convention on public access to information, participation and justice in environmental decision-making – the AARHUS Convention, which links human rights and protection of the environment. Instead, the Minister is reportedly ‘reviewing’ changes made to the Planning Acts by the Green Party, that limited decisions to rezone land (see ‘Minister risks returning to bad old days of planning‘ – Irish Times – 31 March 2011.)

Save Newgrange and and TaraWatch are now calling on the Minister Hogan to immediately move to amend the National Monuments Act and the Planning Act, as required by EU law, before An Bord Pleanala makes a decision on whether or not to grant planning permission for the N2 Slane bypass, which is proposed to run 500m from the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. A decision is expected from the Bord before the end of summer.

Links:

Ancient Tomb Art Found in Path of Irish Highway – National Geographic – 14 Jan 2008

Commission seeks fines against Ireland for not adopting legislation to protect countryside heritage – European Commission Press Release – 16 February 2011

State faces €3.2m fine over breach of EU ruling – The Irish Times – 17 February 2011

Farming – Opinion – The Irish Times - 21 February 2011

Europe ruling on planning directive welcomed – The Irish Times – 5 March 2011

Ireland in breach of EU law – Irish Examiner – 5 March 2011

National Roads Authority – Lismullin Excavation reports

The Irish Times – Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A PREVIOUSLY unrecorded “impressively large earthwork” – believed to be part of the outer defences of an early medieval royal stronghold at Knowth, in the Boyne Valley – has been identified by an archaeological survey. The survey, commissioned by former attorney general John Rogers SC, has been submitted to An Bord Pleanála as additional information as part of its consideration of plans for an N2 bypass running east of Slane, Co Meath.

Carried out by archaeologists Joe Fenwick, Gerard Dowling and Roseanne Schot of the Brú na Bóinne Research Project, the survey found the earthwork at Crewbane, near the home of Mr Rogers, who is objecting to the bypass. It was prompted by the discovery in 2007 of a souterrain in Crewbane, at the perimeter of the Brú na Bóinne Unesco world heritage site “buffer zone” 2km east of Slane village and 1km from the prehistoric passage tomb of Knowth.

“This impressively large earthwork is not recorded in the Sites and Monuments record for Co Meath,” the archaeologists say. It presents a “massive facade” when approached uphill from the south, averaging 4m in height and extends over a distance of 23m. “It is apparent that the Crewbane souterrain is not an isolated archaeological monument in the landscape, but one element in a complex of archaeological features situated on and around this prominent ridge overlooking the river Boyne. “These include a second and possibly third potential souterrain, a substantial linear embankment, a circular enclosure [of] 40m in diameter [a possible ring fort], a relict field system and associated open settlement of possible medieval or early modern date . . . ”

They speculate that the complex “might have served as a defensive outpost protecting the western flanks of the royal stronghold at Knowth”, saying it was “unfortunate” that it straddles the western boundary of the Unesco world heritage site buffer zone.  “It is likely, however, that had this complex been known at the time the world heritage site perimeter was being drafted, its influence would have extended its perimeter somewhat further to the west and northwest,” Mr Fenwick has told An Bord Pleanála.

In a letter to the board, he acknowledged that an alternative route of the bypass running west of Slane would also have a large number of “significant impacts” on the archaeological, architectural and cultural heritage of the area, including Slane Castle demesne. Mr Fenwick suggested that the “only realistic option” was to ban heavy goods vehicles entirely from the village and provide an east-west corridor to the north of Slane, to redirect this traffic towards “the new and underutilised” M1 and M3 motorways.

The consultations end on Friday.

PA Newswire: Ireland – September 16, 2010 Thursday 5:51 PM BST
BYLINE: Sarah Stack, Press Association

Campaigners tonight vowed to rally opinion against a controversial bypass after planners ordered a council to reopen public consultations. The Save Newgrange group said the move was a victory for those against proposals to run the N2 Slane bypass close to historical sites of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth in Co Meath. Meath County Council confirmed it was told by An Bord Pleanala to reopen the public consultations after additional information was requested on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Compulsory Purchase Order.

Vincent Salafia, of Save Newgrange, revealed the group had complained the EIS and public consultation were flawed.  “This is a victory for the public, who were not given the full information in relation to this grandiose proposal, and yet who are expected to foot the bill,” he said.  “We will be waging an international campaign, over the next month, particularly in Northern Ireland to get as many objections has possible filed with An Bord Pleanala.” Activists claim the road – proposed to run 500m from the Bru na Boinne heritage site – will impact over 44 associated archaeological sites, as well as a candidate Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Mr Salafia said he hopes more experts will now make submissions against the scheme.

In a statement, Meath County Council said the new consultation was based on the additional information it furnished to An Bord Pleanala in July.  “As expected, they have now informed us that they consider that the further information supplied contains significant additional data and that the public should be afforded the opportunity to comment on it,” it said. “Provision for this process is made in the Roads Act 1993 and the further information supplied will assist the board in its deliberations on the proposed development.” Notices are due to appear in local and national newspapers in the coming days

‘N2 Slane Bypass Consultation Re-opens – Western Route Options Published’

The NRA and Meath County Council have today re-opened public consultation on the proposed N2 Slane Bypass, after being ordered to do so by An Bord Pleanala. The public can make or amend submissions to the Bord until October 15 2010.

The western route options for the proposed bypass, which impact Slane Castle, have been published, along with other additional information requested by An Bord Pleanala – including the potential impact on Brú na Bóinne Unesco World Heritage Site and archaeological reports on the sites that will be impacted by the bypass, if it proceeds.

Save Newgrange has already sent this information to the European Commission, to amend the complaint that was registered by the Commission in June of this year. The complaint states that the ‘preferred’ eastern route is too close to Bru na Boinne, passing on 500m from the site – and that the proposed bridge over the Boyne impacts too severely on the Boyne candidate Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which is protected by EU law.

Save Newgrange is also sending this information to a number of other international bodies, including Unesco, World Monuments Fund, and the World Wildlife Fund, in a bid to build an international coalition of concern.

Vincent Salafia said:

“The western route will protect Bru na Boinne and Newgrange, Newgrange is known globally as the oldest building in the world, but will impact on Slane Castle.

“If it comes to a choice between passing 500m from Slane Castle or 500m from Bru na Boinne, it is a no-brainer. But neither important site should be damaged.

“We support the views of ESRI economist Dr Edgar Morgenroth, who recently called the bypass an ‘idiotic’ waste of taxpayers’ money, when a simple HGV ban would solve the traffic problems in Slane, and force HGVs to use the M1 – which is only 5 miles away.

“We call on Minster Dempsey to keep his promise, made last year, to implement the HGV ban, which was voted for unanimously by Meath County Councillors in April 2009.

ENDS

Contact – Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365

MORE INFORMATION

Additional information and maps:

Revised Non Technical Summary Pdf (6 mb)

Further Information Requested by An Bord Pleanála Volume 1 Pdf (25 mb)

Further Information Requested by An Bord Pleanála Volume 2 Pdf (38 mb)

New Unesco web site for Bru na Boinne

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING SUBMISSIONS

According to the legal notice published in The Irish Times and other newspapers in Ireland, on 17 September 2010:

“Submissions or observations in relation to the additional information may be made in writing on payment of a fee of 50 euro to:

An Bord Pleanala, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1

not later than 5.30pm on the 15th October 2010. Telephone 01-858-1000

The Irish Times - Monday, July 12, 2010

FIRST LIGHT, it is early, not quite 5am, if even that. We’ve come out to photograph one of several herds of deer of which we have had many privileged glimpses, just never before with a camera. This herd might be gathered among the trees in the river fields. A very light mist is becoming fainter. The landscape is mid-summer green and, where the fields have been cut and the hay is in, contrasting shades of tawny yellow to pale brown. The river is quiet, the water no louder than a murmur when it passes bands of stone.

Stillness. The ubiquitous heron, a surreal statue, one leg bundled beneath him, is standing across the river. He may be sleeping or perhaps he too is listening. A steady, thrumming sound, like a heart beat is beginning to assert itself. It is not that it is becoming louder; it is too constant for that. It is as if it is becoming more important. That is what’s happening; this militaristic, tribal boom is merely consolidating its presence. Cattle doze in some fields, mares and a few foals are peaceful in another; even the sheep seem quieter than usual, the drum beat continues. It is as if it were always there; resonating, consistent, the sound of war – except there is no war. It’s an early morning in July; the beautiful stone bridge at the historic estate village of Slane, Co Meath is free of traffic.

Scanning the land along the river, from the south bank, there is no one in sight. But this is the Boyne, one of Ireland’s great rivers. Suddenly, there is movement. There, just opposite Knowth, the Neolithic complex slightly upriver from the great monument of Newgrange, a figure is visible. A lone drummer is standing side-on to the river at the ford of Rossnaree, just down from the lovely period mansion where nowadays artists gather for painting courses. The man doesn’t seem all that big, but then the drum, strapped to his neck is huge; it covers most of his body. He is beating it with curved Malacca canes to create that distinctive, baritone sound, that sound that is a history lesson, history itself.

Named after a village in Co Antrim, the Lambeg drum, with its strong oak shell and goat skin heads or drumming surfaces, is a reminder of what happened on this site 320 years ago, when the Battle of the Boyne was fought here. The lone drummer looks to be heading for 70, but he’s tough, as tough as the drum that hangs so heavily from his neck. This man comes here to hold a private ceremony honouring his ancestors, farmers and mercenaries, who came to fight for the Protestant William III of Orange, a Dutch man with a French title, an English mother – the sister of the man he was fighting, James II, and an English consort, Mary, the daughter of the same James.

For the drummer on the river bank this morning, July 12th (although according to the old Julian calendar only in use by then in Ireland and Britain the date was July 1st) the battle was a victory. But for the Catholic cause under King James it was a crushing defeat. James did not desert his army, but he did leave Ireland and hurried to France, aware that his only hope of regaining his English throne would be from there.

Three centuries later, the Battle of the Boyne, fought out mainly between Slane and Oldbridge, has become associated in the popular imagination with the marching season, traditionally a time of frayed tempers between the two main communities in Northern Ireland. Something approaching peace – or should that be, a new acceptance of cultural differences? – has recently done much to ease tensions so that a lone Orange man travels down to honour his family and his tradition with his morning vigil. A dramatic study of the battle painted by an eye witness, the Dutch artist, Jan Wyck, hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland. But such is the bitter legacy, this episode, one of the great land battles of European history, is never fully acknowledged in Ireland as that. A tall obelisk commemorating William’s victory was erected at Oldbridge ford in 1736, but it was blown up in 1923, leaving only a part of the base. A statue of William on horseback, unveiled in 1701 in College Green, Dublin, was finally destroyed in 1929, after several failed attempts.

More than 60,000 soldiers, one of the largest combined forces ever assembled on an Irish battlefield, faced each other from opposite banks of the River Boyne, itself cutting its passage through an ancient landscape first settled by late Stone Age farmers. Their ghosts must have watched in wonder as the pike men and musketeers fought to the death, canons thundered while men and horses screamed.

In Irish the battle is called Cogadh an Dá Rí, or the War of the Two Kings – there were in fact three kings involved. In addition to the deposed James II, intent on recovering the throne he had lost in 1688 to his Dutch nephew/son-in-law, William of Orange, there was also the vital psychological, though not physical, presence of King Louis XIV, who was supporting James, not only out of hatred for William, but because the French king genuinely believed in James’s cause.

It was a cosmopolitan affair played out between the fords of the river; the generals present were career soldiers from France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Britain who had seen action all over Europe, as well as Ulster Protestants and other Irishmen, including Patrick Sarsfield. The Duke of Schomberg (1615-1690) at 75, nearing the end of what had been a great career, was killed at Oldbridge, while his volatile son, Meinhard, led about 7,000 cavalry and dragoons across the Boyne at Rossnaree where Sir Neil O’Neil’s tiny force of 600 held their ground for almost an hour only to retreat as the Williamite field guns came into action.

The drums that sounded over the battlefield would have been smaller than the giant Lambeg – impossible to manoeuvre in the chaos of battle. Accompanying the steady, relentless drumming would have been trumpets and the shrill sound of the fife, a type of piccolo, played by Flemish soldiers under the command of Schomberg and the Duke of Würtemburg-Neustadt (1659-1701) who commanded the Danish contingent and had served at the Siege of Vienna in 1683.

Another veteran of that campaign known to have fought at the Boyne was the Byerley Turk, initially destined to be ridden in James’s army until his owner, Captain Robert Byerley changed sides and pledged himself to William. The Serbian-bred stallion not only survived the battle, he became one of the three foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred and died in England, in 1703, at the age of 25.

Close your eyes and imagine the cavalry charges. Look at the spot described by the younger Schomberg as “a very fine plain”. Then think of the forthcoming destruction to this place and to the entire historic area when the National Roads Authority begins its extensive excavation when constructing a massive, overwhelmingly intrusive four-lane bridge across the Boyne, cheek by jowl with Knowth. Consider the wildlife settled in what is a EU- protected Special Area of Conservation. The devastation at Tara will seem nothing compared with the threatened upheaval, complete with roundabouts, planned for one of the most beautiful, panoramic historic sites in Ireland, in beleaguered Meath, a county already ripped asunder by excessive quarrying.

Neither the lone drummer, nor any other drummers, intent on celebrating the Battle of the Boyne will again be heard. The landscape will be obliterated by an incongruous bridge, the birds, deer, otters and badgers will be disrupted and once again, Government-approved vandalism will undermine Irish heritage. How about banning HGVs from the N2 through Slane? Or is that too simple and reasonable?

One thing’s for certain, no one will win the next Battle of the Boyne. If the Lambeg beats again here, it will be in lamentation, not celebration.

Meath Chronicle – Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 4:58pm
Profile by Ann Casey

As the controversy over the proposed Slane bypass continues to rage, Meath County Council is preparing to close Slane bridge next Monday night and Tuesday morning for a structural investigation.  The temporary road closure will allow the council assess the condition of the bridge and what repair works are necessary on the structure, which has been damaged over the years by traffic accidents and fallen trees in the river hitting it.

The bridge, which has been the scene of many fatal accidents over the years, will be closed from 9pm next Monday night to 6am on Tuesday morning. Northbound traffic will be diverted from the N2 through Kentstown and Navan, onto the Navan-Slane road and southbound traffic will be diverted along the same route. The investigation comes in response to visible damage to the arches of the bridge believed to have been caused by fallen trees being swept along in the current and striking the bridge over the years. The eastern wall of the bridge has also been repeatedly damaged over the years by traffic accidents.

Meanwhile, as Meath County Council continues to prepare its response to An Bord Pleanala to a further information request on routes to the west of the village, the owner of Slane Castle, Henry Mountcharles, said the western route identified runs in close proximity to the rear of the castle, cuts right through the heart of the estate and an area of special conservation near a national monument.  “It is ludicrous in the extreme. This route is twice the length of the submitted route and is vastly more expensive and would completely obliterate a hostel and farmhouse,” he said.

The western route was not included in the environmental impact study prepared for the current application and had been discounted by Meath County Council several years ago as a result of feasibility studies. Lord Mountcharles said that because the western route had not been included in the planning application or EIS, he had not made a submission on the issue to An Bord Pleanala. The deadline had passed and he was now denied the right to make a submission. His son, Alex Mountcharles, had made a submission, but only on the proposal before the planning board. Cllr Wayne Harding said there was no viable route to the west and the people of Slane had waited long enough. “The selection process has gone on for the past 10 years,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Save Newgrange campaign is calling on the Meath County Manager, Tom Dowling, to immediately implement a ban on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in Slane. They point out that over 1,200 HGVs a day pass through Slane, destroying the fabric of the village, and posing a serious threat to local residents. “The HGV ban in Slane should be implemented immediately, in the interests of public safety, now that a final bypass decision has been delayed,” said Vincent Salafia of Save Newgrange.

“An Bord Pleanala may reject the Slane Bypass proposal outright, as it passes through a candidate Area of Special Convervation (SAC), which runs both east and west of Slane, along the Boyne. A final decision on the bypass could be years away, and public safety of local residents must take priority,” he said.  Mr Salafia claimed there was no logical reason for the council’s refusal to implement the ban, other than to “unfairly pressurise the planning authorities” into approving the bypass.

WRITE TO ken@meathchronicle.ie

The Irish Times - Monday, June 14, 2010

AN BORD Pleanála has asked Meath County Council to supply detailed additional information on the proposed N2 Slane bypass – including whether any alternative route west of the village had been examined.  The current proposal, which includes a new bridge over the river Boyne, runs to the east of Slane and has proved controversial because this would bring it close to the Brú na Bóinne archaeological complex – a designated Unesco World Heritage Site.

The council, which is acting as agent for the National Roads Authority, has now been asked to furnish 12 points of additional information to “clarify” its environmental impact statement (EIS), to assist the appeals board in adjudicating on the scheme. Seeking details of any alternative route, the board said: “If such a route has not been examined, a desktop study and drawings are required of a potential route to the west of Slane to the same level of detail as the routes examined [but not chosen].”

Referring to a statement in the EIS that the route selection for the Slane bypass “has been influenced by its potential for future inclusion in a longer [dual-carriageway] route between Ashbourne and Ardee, the board wants more information on this plan.  “The non-technical summary of the EIS should be expanded to include an illustration of the proposed bridge, a map showing alternative routes considered for the road and a map/aerial photograph showing the route in relation to the world heritage site”. It is also seeking details – “with drawings as appropriate” – of alternative designs examined for the proposed bridge over the Boyne, which has been criticised by objectors as unnecessarily intrusive in the context of the landscape of Brú na Bóinne.

The board’s request said it considered that the photomontages in the EIS are “not of sufficient scale” to enable it to “fully assess the landscape and visual impacts of the proposed development”, and more high-quality photomontages are required. These should include views from the Hill of Slane looking east, the Knowth prehistoric site at both ground level and from the top of this monument, and existing and proposed views from the river valley 300 metres east of the planned Boyne bridge. The board also wants A3-size photomontages of views of the bridge from Knowth, the Hill of Slane, the Battle of the Boyne crossing point at Rosnaree, poet Francis Ledwidge’s cottage, and a typical point within the world heritage site buffer zone.  It has also asked the council to provide a report of “all geophysical and archaeological investigations carried out for the purpose of route selection and impact identification” to clarify the extent of land subject to surveying, field walking and excavation.  The council has been given a deadline of next Monday to respond.

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Battle lines over by-pass drawn – BBC NI News  – 1 June 2010

Villagers in Slane, County Meath, on the main Londonderry to Dublin road, have long campaigned for a bypass – 22 people have been killed there in the last 20 years. But as BBC NI Dublin correspondent Shane Harrison now reports, heritage campaigners believe the planned bypass is too close to ancient monuments like Newgrange.  Slane, with its many hanging baskets, is a pretty place, especially when it’s bathed in sunshine.But the village, famous for rock concerts by the green grassy slopes of the Boyne, has a steep descent to the river and many a truck has had problems braking before its narrow bridge. Villagers like Michele Power has her own reasons for wanting a by-pass.

In March of last year she and her toddler daughter had, in her words, a miraculous escape when a truck crashed. Motorists encounter a steep hill, before crossing a narrow bridge Motorists encounter a steep hill, before crossing a narrow bridge. She said she and Trudy had just finished the school run when she heard a lot of bangs.”I looked in my rear view mirror when I saw a truck coming up behind me pushing a load of cars in my direction.
“It was very scary and I really thought we were going to die,” she added.

Motorists passing through the village see 22 white crosses nailed to a stone wall, a reminder about the number of people killed in traffic accidents in Slane over the last two decades. Joanne Macken, a self-catering accommodation provider, believes a bypass is essential. “The amount of traffic and lorries is just ruining the village and there have been so many deaths and accidents the sooner we get it the better,” she said.

Peadar Hevey, whose house overlooks the bridge, said he has seen so many accidents there that as soon as he hears the familiar bang associated with a crash he just rings “999 before going to see the extent of the injuries. I’ve seen 95% of all the crashes there”. While there’s an acceptance that the village on the main Dublin to Derry road needs to do something about its traffic problem some business people quietly mutter that now in these recessionary times is not the right moment for a bypass that would take away passing trade.  Some think a by-pass would disturb archaeological sites like Newgrange. Nonsense, said Brian McIvor, who runs his own training company. “The 1,100 trucks that pass through Slane every day do not do business in Slane. So, that argument does not stack up,” he said.

The Republic’s National Roads Authority, the NRA, wants to build a dual carriage-way by-pass across the Boyne, not too far from Bru na Boinne, the World Heritage site that includes the ancient monuments of Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange.For campaigners like Vincent Salafia that is just too much. He says the bypass would “impact on at least 44 archaeological sites which are probably part of the complex itself”. “We also feel the consultation that is being done for the development should have been north-south because the road goes from north to south and the people of Northern Ireland should have a say about what happens to a world heritage site,” he added.

Conor Brady, a villager, can see both sides of the argument because his wife suffered minor injuries in a road accident in Slane and he lectures in archaeology. But he he said the proposed bypass “is outside the buffer zone”. “The buffer zone isn’t officially part of the world heritage site,” said Mr Brady. “When they set up the site this buffer zone was set up to protect the heritage in terms of views and impact of development.” With no decision imminent on whether the Slane bypass will go ahead, the battle lines are now drawn. Once again difficult issues like road safety and protecting heritage appear set on a collision course – it’s a very modern Irish story.

Board seeks more technical information on Slane bypass

Meath Chronicle: Wednesday, 26th May, 2010 4:56pm

A request by Bord Pleanala for further information on the Slane bypass has been welcomed by local councillor, Wayne Harding, who said it would help clear up a number of issues.  Stressing the need to proceed with the project as quickly as possible, Cllr Harding pointed out that the board has sought further information on proposed routes to the west of the village. The route which is currently the subject of a planning application runs east of the village.

“The board sought more technical information on routes to the west. I have no problem with that as it will show that the route to the west is not viable,” he said. “I want to see as much information as possible forwarded to Bord Pleanala. The more information sought and the more elaborate the plan, the better the scheme will be and it will be better for Slane,” Cllr Harding added.  Cllr Harding said it was very important that the scheme proceeds as quickly as possible because of the dangers facing the people of Slane and those travelling through the village very day. Meanwhile, Bord Pleanala has confirmed that there will be an oral hearing on the N2 Slane bypass in the coming months, but a date has yet to be fixed.

The Save Newgrange Campaign had made written objections to the scheme, and filed an EU complaint about the development. Save Newgrange is also calling on the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to immediately present the National Monuments Bill to the Oireachtas for passage, in order to protect the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The group is also calling on the minister to make his position on the bypass known before planning permission is granted. Minister Gormley announced that the Bill was approved by the Government last month but it has not gone before the Oireachtas.

Save Newgrange spokesman, Vincent Salafia, said: “The minister must immediately present the Bill for passage, or it is likely that Bord Pleanala will approve the N2 route, leading to long delays due to protest and legal action.  “The Bill is already years overdue, and it must be passed before the Dail breaks for summer, or Bru na Boinne will be under threat. The minister must also take a position on the N2 route now, so as to inform An Bord Pleanala in their decision-making. We don’t want a repeat of Tara,” he added.

WRITE TO ken@meathchronicle.ie