Campaigners battling to reroute the controversial M3 motorway away from the Hill of Tara yesterday served Minister for the Environment Dick Roche with notice of a Supreme Court challenge to the project.
Lawyer Vincent Salafia said he was appealing a High Court ruling clearing the way for the divisive road which snakes its way through the ancient capital of Ireland's kings.
He said with a general election due next year, he was still hopeful the Government would try to appease voters by doing a U-turn on the project.
"While the case is proceeding logically to the Supreme Court, and Europe if necessary, we are still hoping for a political decision by the authorities to review the situation and consider rerouting the Tara section of motorway," he said.
Formal written notice of the Supreme Court action was handed to Mr Roche, the Attorney General, Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Mr Salafia lost his High Court challenge to the M3 last May. He claimed the National Monuments Act 2004 is unconstitutional, because it does not pass the test laid out by Justice Laffoy in the M50/Carrickmines Castle case.
No date has been fixed for the hearing but it will be several months away. - (PA)