[Stones] [Fwd: Tara update and destruction of an ancient Greek tomb]

[Tim P]

 From Save Tara campaigners:

A statement on behalf of the Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp
Muireann N? í Bhrolch? áin 087-9249510
(For direct contacts see phone numbers below)

Statement on behalf of the Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp
21st century souterrain


The Protectors at Rath Lugh have planned a Direct Action method used for
the first time on protest sites in Ireland. They have dug a tunnel under
the route of the M3 directly in front of the Rath Lugh promontory fort
in the Gabhra Valley, Co Meath in Ireland.

The Protectors intend to occupy this tunnel and seal themselves inside
indefinitely to prevent construction traffic from passing overhead. They
are laying their very lives on the line to protect and preserve Tara? '²s
landscape from the destruction wrought by their own Government.

The Protectors said: ? '³We want to draw attention to the continued erosion
of the esker by passing construction traffic, hence damaging the base
and foundation of the Rath.? '´

This is a continuation of their non-violent direct action. The tunnel
acts like a souterrain giving the occupant protection and making it very
difficult for the enemy to enter.


Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp
For further information ring Derek on 086-845 9279 or Lou on 086-3600478
http://www.tarapixie.net
Link to the video of events 5-6 March at Rath Lugh, Lismullin, Co Meath
http://www.livevideo.com/video/4819A5371FDA46BAB4A42CA1D60B2A1F/rathlugh-down-under.aspx?m_tkc=11224420

Irish Times-8 March 200
'M3 motorway protesters claim to have entered tunnel under road'
By Harry McGee

CAMPAIGNERS AGAINST the M3 motorway claim they have stepped up their
campaign by occupying a tunnel they say they have secretly dug under the
proposed route that passes through the Tara Valley in Co Meath.
A group calling itself the Rath Lugh Direct Action Camp last night said
protesters are already occupying the tunnel and were capable of sealing
themselves in. They said that construction traffic passing over the
tunnel would leave it vulnerable to collapse.
Derek Berrill, a spokesman for the group which is affiliated to the Save
Tara campaign, said the passageway was located in front of the Rath Luth
promontory fort in the Gabhra Valley.
"It has been occupied since March 6th. We have moved in because we are
never too sure when they plan the next move against us," said Mr Berrill.
He said that work had commenced on the tunnel in secret in August 2007.
He would not specify its exact size. "I can say the tunnel is big,
although I am not in a position to give the diameter," said Mr Berrill.
"It goes directly down and then goes halfway under the route itself,
crossing about halfway across [the width of the proposed] motorway."
The protesters say they intend to occupy the tunnel indefinitely to
prevent construction traffic from passing overhead.
They say they also want to draw attention to what they say is continued
erosion of the landscape from construction traffic.
Mr Berrill said they were "absolutely certain" that the tunnel itself
would not cause damage.
Michael Egan of the National Roads Authority said there was no
independent verification as yet that any tunnel had been built.
Entering a caveat that protesters have claimed actions in the past that
did not materialise, Mr Egan said that if a tunnel had been dug then the
contractor, and if necessary the Garda S? ¦íoch? ¦ána, would have to deal 
with
the situation.
"They have no right to be on that property. They are trespassing above
and below the ground," he said.
The Department of Environment said it had no reason to believe that any
activity close to Rath Lugh was endangering or damaging the monument.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley's spokesman said that issues
surrounding the construction of the road were matters for the Department
of Transport and the authority.
The spokesman said that Mr Gormley yesterday signed a permanent
protection order for the Rath Lugh promontory fort - until now it has
been protected by a temporary order. This order, he said, was a
coincidence unrelated to yesterday's development.
He added that the department was unaware as to the existence of a tunnel
_____________________________________

Meanwhile road contruction causes serious damage to a Greek Tomb

March 6, 2008 -- Road construction on the western Greek island of Lefkada 
has
uncovered and partially destroyed an important tomb with artifacts dating 
back more than
3,000 years, officials said on Wednesday.
The find is a miniature version of the large, opulent tombs built by the 
rulers of Greece
during the Mycenaean era, which ended around 1100 B.C.
Although dozens have been found in the mainland and on Crete, the 
underground,
beehive-shaped monuments are very rare in the western Ionian Sea islands, 
and
previously unknown on Lefkada.
The discovery could fuel debate on a major prehistoric puzzle -- where the 
homeland of
Homer's legendary hero Odysseus was located.
"This is a very important find for the area, because until now we had next 
to no evidence
on Mycenaean presence on Lefkada," excavator Maria Stavropoulou-Gatsi said.
Stavropoulou-Gatsi said the tomb was unearthed about a month ago by a 
bulldozer,
during road construction work.
"Unfortunately, the driver caused significant damage," she said.
She said the tomb contained several human skeletons, as well as smashed 
pottery, two
seal stones, beads made of semiprecious stones, copper implements and clay 
loom
weights. It appeared to have been plundered during antiquity.
With a 9-foot diameter, the tomb is very small compared to others, such as 
the Tomb of
Atreus in Mycenae, which was more than 46 feet across and built of stones 
weighing up to
120 tons.
But it could revive scholarly debate on the location of Odysseus' Ithaca 
mentioned in
Homer's poems -- which are believed to be loosely based on Mycenaean-era 
events. While
the nearby island of Ithaki is generally identified as the hero's kingdom, 
other theories
have proposed Lefkada or neighboring Kefallonia.
Stavropoulou-Gatsi said the discovery might cause excitement on Lefkada, but 
it was too
soon for any speculation on Odysseus.
"I think it is much too early to engage in such discussion. The location of 
Homer's Ithaca is
a very complex issue," she said.
Photo here: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/06/tomb-greek-island.html