Tara site named in top 10 archaeological discoveries
Monday December 31 2007
Campaigners for the preservation of the Tara-Skryne Valley were celebrating yesterday when the Lismullen national monument was named as one of the 10 most important archaeological discoveries of 2007.
The 2,000-year-old henge, discovered in March, has been a major obstacle in the completion of the M3 motorway around the area of the Hill of Tara.
'Archaeology Magazine', the Archaeological Institute of America's highly regarded publication, listed the find.
The Tara-Skryne Valley was also listed in the top 100 most endangered sites by the World Monuments Fund.
Members of Tarawatch say this announcement caps off "what has been a very successful year for the Tara campaign".
Vernon Mount, the 18th-century villa in Cork, also made the top 100 most endangered sites list. The World Monument Fund again puts down planning issues as the main problem in this site, claiming a stalemate between owners and the Cork County Development Plan is causing deterioration.
The owners, a motocross club, say the lands around the house need to be rezoned to fund the work needed to renovate it.
- Colin Bartley
