Scientists have unearthed what appears to be a mammoth wooden version of the famous Stonehenge monument at the Hill of Tara. In a new RTE documentary, many theories and insights into the country's prehistoric past and 150,000 ancient monuments are unveiled and explained. People will be able to view a computer-generated recreation of what archaeologists believe was a major wooden structure at the ancient seat of the Irish high kings in the Hill of Tara.
There is strong evidence to suggest that the first kings of Ireland came from Donegal, a leading archaeologist has claimed. Brian Lacey, Chief Executive of the Discovery Programme, will explore his theory in detail when he speaks at the upcoming Beltany Heritage Conference in Raphoe.
Revellers gathered at the Hill of Tara to greet the morning sun today on the longest day of the year. TaraWatch - which is campaigning for the M3 motorway to be re-routed away from the historic Tara-Skryne valley - is staging a four-day summer solstice celebration at the site. The Tara archaeological complex was recently placed on the World Monuments Fund's last of the World's 100 Most Endangered Sites.
The setting of a hearing date in the Hill of Tara / M3 motorway case was postponed by the Irish Chief Justice, the Hon. Mr. Justice John Murray. He said he will set a hearing date after written submissions were received by The Attorney General, The Minister for the Environment, Meath County Council, and the National Roads Authority, due on 24th July. Gerard Hogan, SC, Counsel for the Appellant, Mr. Vincent Salafia, asked for an early hearing date to be set, since he had given undertakings in the High Court that he would do so. Chief Justice Murray questioned whether there was any urgency in the case, since there is no injunction in place and no stoppage of works. Counsel for Meath County Council argued that there as a 'considerable shadow' hanging over the project in relation to the public private partnership contract, which cannot be signed until the matter is through the courts.