Archaeological treasures being left exposed in open-air
Archaeological treasures being 'left exposed in open-air sites' Massive road-building programme has seen a surge in historical finds By JOHN DRENNAN Sunday Independent - May 04 2008 Priceless archaeological treasures are being "left exposed in open-air sites" because the National Museum of Ireland has accumulated so many artifacts that it has no place to store them. An unanticipated consequence of the massive road-building programme is that archaeology is one of the State's largest growth industries. This year more than €25m of the National Road Authority's €1.68bn road programme will be spent digging up historical sites in the path of roadways and saving the material unearthed for the future. But while the NRA's archaeological programme meets the highest European standards, the huge turnover of material has created a crisis for the cash-strapped National Museum. Collins Barracks in Dublin was the main storage area for finds. But, according to Fine Gael spokesperson on the arts Olivia Mitchell, it is now so full that "curators cannot even gain access to the material let alone catalogue it''. A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General revealed that 1.5 million objects were awaiting classification and that there had been a four-fold increase in excavation licenses in a decade. The Roads Authority says it expects to spend €300m on archaeological digs over the life span of Transport 21. "It's like a conveyor belt at the moment, it won't stop. The museum is even telling archaeologists not to give them any more material," said the Fine Gael Deputy. "We have a wealth of knowledge lying in an undocumented heap exposed to the elements or buried in an Indiana Jones-like crypt in. It really is appalling. People are on their hands and knees picking material out of sites and then it's being dumped in a heap." The controversy is set to be even more embarrassing because Ireland will be hosting the World Archaeological Conference shortly -- and distinguished guests may be told that while unused e-voting machines are stored with care and attention archaeological treasures are dumped in the open air. - JOHN DRENNAN

Protestors used today's opening of the Battle of the Boyne site as a platform to criticise the outgoing Taoiseach's reign and to protest against the plans for the construction of the M3 motorway. The 'Save Tara' protestors descended on the official opening of the 500-acre site, which borders Co Louth - bought by the state in 1999 to preserve the site - to mark outgoing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's time in power as a "monument to bad planning and unsustainable development". Mr Ahern was today making his final official public engagement before he submits his resignation to President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin this evening, marking the end of his 11-year reign as Taoiseach. Vincent Salafia, a Dublin lawyer from TaraWatch, criticised Mr Ahern, saying: "When it comes to the environment, Bertie has not been a 'fixer' or a 'peacemaker'. He has been a wrecker and a bully. "The Tara dispute is driving a stake through the tourist potential of Ireland, which is the only industry that we will have left to rely on, if things keep going the way they are. We will now be closing the Bertie petition, and launching a UNESCO petition, to ask them that the M3 be rerouted, before Tara is declared a World Heritage site. " The Hill of Tara, located near the Boyne site has been a major source of contention in the past few years. Thousands of protestors have asked the Irish government to re-route the M3 motorway from the Hill, as they believe it will destroy the heritage. A petition containing almost 40,000 names was handed to Mr Ahern's office urging him to reconsider the route as one of is last acts of office.