The National Roads Authority has given details of plans for the new Slane bypass, which would be built 500m from the World Heritage Site at Newgrange.
While the plan has been welcomed locally, it is expected that there will be controversy.
The bridge and the road through the village of Slane, Co Meath, is one of the most dangerous stretches of roads in Ireland.
Over 20 people have been killed in accidents and locals have long campaigned for a bypass around the village.
The NRA is proposing to build the route down river of the present bridge and to the east of the village.
The proposed bypass will be 500m away from the buffer-zone around the World Heritage Site at Brú na Bóinne, which comprises the ancient megalithic tombs at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
It will also impact on the museum dedicated to Ireland’s most famous World War I poet, Francis Ledwidge, who came from Slane.
The Environmental Impact Statement for the project acknowledges that 44 archaeological sites will be within 500m of the roadway and that the potential to uncover much more during work is high.
While there will be a visual impact from the river, the Environmental Impact Statement says there will be negligible impact on the Site.
Ah crap we've done it again...first Tara, now this...you can just tell how bad we are at conservation in Ireland and interest in ancient sites from the fact that there is only a handful of Irish people active on this forum!
While I have sympathy for the people of Slane, this is dreadful news. 500m is 0.317 of a mile. It will be Stonehenge all over again.
"Ah crap we've done it again...first Tara, now this...you can just tell how bad we are at conservation in Ireland and interest in ancient sites from the fact that there is only a handful of Irish people active on this forum!"
500 metres - not far off then from the proposed Bonds Housing development and the bank and ditch at Avebury. It's not only Ireland - it's happening right here on 'our' heritage doorstep.
I've just read a bit about the village of Slane - in 2006 the population was 1099; twenty deaths in a community of that size is horrendous.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slane
I've have not visited the World Heritage Site at Brú na Bóinne but if I ever do it will no doubt be by bus or coach ... therein lies the dilemma.
Littlestone: Don't worry I wasn't claiming all the bad decisions for ourselves...I'll let you have a few as well. I lived for thirteen years near Avebury...it's a great place...shame about the plans...I hope it can be stopped.
Tjj: Yeah the accident rate here is pretty bad...which is our own fault...you don't have to do a driving test to go out and drive. You just have to pass a theory test and then you can get insured and go out on the roads without ever having had a lesson. I did and passed the driving test...never had an accident...clean licence and it costs me nearly €1000 to get insured per year...madness.
But I'm way off point now...
It will be interesting to see what the road builders dig up.
Well I was speechless last night, its not just Newgrange, but the proposed port of Bremore, and then of course the whole long nightmare of Tara the last two years.. Irish politicians!!! John Gormley even had the cheek to go to the Newgrange winter solstice last year Standing Stone..... but there is one good writer on Ireland on TMA and he's just tackled it...;)
I can just imagine it. Gormley stood in the chamber, the light creeping down the passage slowly filling the chamber with light...something only a few people are lucky enough to see and Gormley thinks, "you know...this would be a fantastic place for a road."
The road will be 4 miles away from Newgrange. It will be 500 metres from the buffer zone around the entire Bru na Boinne site. It will not be audible or visible from Newgrange. There is unfortunately a lot of misinformation being spread around about this proposed bypass which is urgently need to protect lives in Slane. The buffer zone was put in place around the core area to protect the heritage site. The road will be outside the buffer zone. It will be 2.5 miles long, and 4 miles away; further away than existing roads.
Have a look at the Facebook group Save Newgrange - The Facts where there are "before" and "after" photos of the view from Knowth; links to the EIS, and discussions from both sides of the debate.