Tara protesters hold Dublin rally

Several hundred campaigners against the construction of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara staged a protest in Dublin  today…

Several hundred campaigners against the construction of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara staged a protest in Dublin  today.

The Love Tara march began at the Gardens of Remembrance after a public meeting.

Protesters progressed down O'Connell Street and on to  the office of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, at Merrion Square.

It came as officials from the EU Parliament's Petitions Committee, which earlier in the year inspected works at the Co Meath site, issued a report condemning the routing of the M3 and the damage to the country's heritage.

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Organisers said the march was an opportunity for people to express their dissatisfaction at the routing of the motorway, and will act as a springboard for a day of action planned at Tara on Monday. The march was supported by the Union of Students of Ireland (USI).

"It was a very strong march," campaigner Vincent Salafia said. "We're happy with how it went. I think it focuses attention on the Taoiseach and we're urging him to step forward and take a leadership role in this.

"We're not going away until there's some sort of resolution."

An Bord Pleanála last month ruled that the M3 could be built over newly discovered 2,000-year-old ruins at Lismullen, about two kilometres from the Tara Hill.

It had been examining whether the discovery last April of the ancient ceremonial structure in the motorway's path would require a fresh planning application by developers. The board said the find did not constitute a material alteration to the M3 scheme, which it had already approved in September 2003, and gave the project the green light.

But the EU's Petitions Committee has questioned the route of the motorway and asked why the state puts so much emphasis on roads and so little on rail.

A report is to be forwarded for discussion by the Commission, which sent a reasoned opinion to the Government earlier in the year highlighting the need for a second environmental impact assessment in light of the Lismullen find.

It is understood that the Government's official response has been submitted to the Commission for its review.