Bremore tombs

fifilarue

Does anyone know what's going on with the Bremore passage tombs? Heard yesterday that some of them had been damaged last week, which seems kinda mad. Is this true?

Riamfada

It would appear that someone drove a tractor over them(a few times). It is hard to tell from the pictures the damage to the archaeological material they contain. Its certainly a bad buzz if it was done my malice. But may I mention "Hanlon's Razor", its explained quite alot for me recently.

Anyway info at this link

http://bremore.blogspot.com/

And here is the relevant extract

A Friend of Bremore wrote:

Today, the 31/05/2009 I visited Bremore. It was a beautiful morning, the sun danced on the sea, birds sang and a small black thing raced across the small path which leads down to the burial mounds with something in its mouth. It was a weasel I think, on its way into the safety of a hedge. A lark rose and sang its way up into the heavens and from a distance this old burial place looked as it had always did; until I got up close to the mounds.
On the latest Ordnance Survey Maps there are five mounds clearly shown, today I could see only four. Three of them have been recently mauled and disturbed by machinery, to the point where they are now imperiled. One large mound may survive as it is too big to drive a tractor on, the other three have been ploughed over and planted upon. Some of the surrounding kerb stones have been pulled loose and at least two of the mounds are only a thin shadow of what they recently were.
These mounds have been dated at six thousand years old, one more year of this, perhaps one more harvesting of the crop this year and what remains of them will sink back into the soil. It is blatant vandalism carried out perhaps to an order or a request.
These mounds are National Monuments, among the most important monuments we have in our land, they are legally protected, they should be fenced off, regularly checked by a heritage officer or parks warden and damage to them stopped or corrected. Any farmer treating them as they have just been treated should be charged with a serious crime but like so much in Ireland now political, heritage and environmental duty has gone missing. A priceless piece of us lies wounded and soon the developers will be given the green light to move and finish off the job. They will call this progress.
The signs that were there last year, National Monument Signs, warning signs, tourist signs etc have all been removed. The Minister of the Environment has been notified about this, so too has the National Monuments Office but nothing has been done. It is obvious that no one came out to check the site, or its condition and I personally have the feeling that the site is being prepared for its final destruction.

Please remember that this blog post is completely unsubstanciated and obviously created by a "save tara" protestor. Take from that what you will.

fifilarue

Thanks for that Grimes. Even if you read between the lines , where there were once five and now only four, something's up. It's hard to believe that there isn't more about it in the mainstream press. I did some work up in that area last year and turned up loads of worked flint scatters-what could be identified was likely to be Neolithic. The whole area has such potential. The more I think about it, though, the crazier the situation seems. These are passage tombs and national monuments and given what happened at Tara and Carrickmines for that matter is something a developer would want to avoid...dunno. Anyhoo, enough archaeology for today...

ODS

From today's Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0902/1224253663259.html


Port threat to passage tombs

FRANK McDONALD, Environment Editor

AN TAISCE has warned that the proposed deepwater port at Bremore, north Co Dublin, could threaten an archaeological complex of passage tombs even older than Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth in the Boyne Valley.

The environmental trust was commenting yesterday on plans by Drogheda Port to extend its boundary southwards so as to incorporate Bremore for development of the deepwater port in partnership with Treasury Holdings.

An Taisce said it had ascertained that the proposed alteration of the Drogheda Port Company’s area of control is to facilitate the construction of a new deepwater port at Bremore to cater for vessels up to 250 metres.

Saying it was opposed to this development, the trust complained no environmental assessment of its effects has been made available, and thus there could be no proper public consultation, as required under EU law.

It pointed out that the river Nanny estuary is an EU-designated nature conservation site – a special protected area under the birds directive and a candidate for special area of conservation under the habitats directive.

The foreshore and associated sand dunes is home to many species of concern. According to a Foras Forbartha report (1972), the Helix Pisana is a “species that is only found on the Irish coast between south Co Louth and north Co Dublin”.

An Taisce said the archaeological profile of the Bremore area was particularly significant, as it included the legally-protected Bremore Passage Tomb Cemetery as well as elements of the Gormanston Passage Tomb Cemetery.

Archaeologist Dr Mark Clinton, chairman of An Taisce’s national monuments and antiquities committee, said one mound had an entrance orientation indicating the possibility that it was aligned with the summer solstice.

“In this regard, and given their morphology and geographical location, there’s every possibility the builders were the near ancestors of those that built the nearby world-acclaimed tombs of Brú na Bóinne [the Boyne Valley tombs].” Dr Clinton said the two cemetery complexes proposed to be incorporated by Drogheda Port under the 2009 Harbours Act “must be considered within the greater context of other passage tombs nearby at Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange”.

“Hence we believe it is far more appropriate that the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne would be extended to include the Bremore-Gormanston complexes rather than their obliteration as a result of an ‘extension’ for ‘development’ of Drogheda Port.”

An Taisce highlighted a potential loss of public amenities, noting that Gormanston lies at the southern end of a “renowned stretch of sandy beaches.

Notice of the Bremore extension plan is available for public inspection only in the Superintendent’s office at Drogheda Garda Station. The deadline for submissions and objections is September 8th. All submissions should be sent to Garret Doocey, Maritime Transport Division, Department of Transport, Dublin 2; email garret.doocey@transport.ie

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

psharkey

Hi all,

I read the article in the Times there yesterday. Can't believe this bloody country sometimes. Maybe we'd be better to just go and let the IMF come along and take charge cos' there doesn't seem to be anyone else doing it!

I got these links off the internet which should give you all a bit more info on Tombs at Bremore/Gormanston and the proposed expansion of the Drogheda Port. You will notice that there is no mention of the Tombs in their proposals...

http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/1370

http://www.droghedaport.ie/cms/publish/port_generalinfo.shtml

http://www.fingal-independent.ie/frontpage/ancient-site-may-delay-bremore-port-1246564.html

http://www.droghedaport.ie/cms/uploads/30_9_04.pdf



http://www.panoramio.com/user/743400

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0702/nationwide_av.html?2394467,null,228

I would suggest that everyone who is against the destruction of these tombs email their objections to the email address at the end of the Irish Times article which is quoted above.

Also can anyone confirm that an official objection is going ahead? Do you have to pay to object and, if so, why can't everyone chip in to do this before the 8th Sept?

lostexpectation

can anyone find any maps of drogheda port haroubr zone onlne, surely this notice should be up on te dept of marine site ....

bogman

The Importance of Bremore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaqNJbq9jWE