The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal brought by a Dublin environmental campaigner over the protection of the State's national heritage.
Dominic Dunne, a campaigner who fought to save the ruins of Carrickmines Castle during the building of the M50, has lost a third judgment in the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice John L Murray dismissed the case, upholding a previous High Court decision. That judgment rejected Mr Dunne's bid to stop construction of the motorway over the ruins of the castle because he claimed it was unconstitutional and against EU directives.
The court ruled it could not accede to either of two applications and it cleared the way for work to continue. Work on the south eastern section of the motorway was completed last year.
In his court challenge, Mr Dunne claimed the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 is constitutional. That Act handed power to the Minister for the Environment to decide whether any archeological site is a 'national monument'.
A separate case taken by campaigners against the proposed M3 motorway from Clonee to Kells will go before the Supreme Court in October.
PA