World Monuments Fund to Issue Bold Tara Statement This Weekend

international | history and heritage | event notice Thursday September 20, 2007 17:54 by TaraWatch info at tarawatch dot org

A number fo events this weekend will be punctuated by a call for preservation of Lismullin by WMF

HILL OF TARA /M3 MOTORWAY EVENTS SAT & SUN (22 & 23 September)

1. - Trinity College Dublin, between 12.00 and 2.00PM on Saturday, for a Tara Update.

2. - Dáil Éireann - The Harpers of Ireland protest at 3.00PM on Saturday.

3.- The Hill of Tara - Aerial photographer, John Quigley, who will be taking a photograph of demonstrators making a human harp on Tara. 3.00PM on Sunday 23rd. Wear white and bring rain gear.

World Monuments Fund (WMF) put the Hill of Tara on the 100 Most Endangered Sites List 2008, before the national monument at Lismullin was declared.

They will particiapte in a series of events in Ireland and the US this weekend, in a final effort to get Irish and European authorities to take decisive action.

TARA UPDATE - TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
Mairtin ui Chadhain Theatre
12.00 - 2.00pm, Saturday, 22nd September.
Admission free. Presentations by:

- Tara Harpers, featuring Laoise Kelly
- World Monuments Fund (WMF)
- Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, TCD
- Union of Students of Ireland, (USI)
- TaraWatch
- Kathy Sinnott, MEP
- Dáithí Ó hÓgáin - UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies, Irish Folklore & Linguistics

Contact:

- Dr Sarah Alyn Stacey, Trinity College Dublin email salynsta@tcd.ie
Tel: +353-1-6082686
http://www.tcd.ie/Medieval_Renaissance

- Vincent Salafia, TaraWatch info@tarawatch.org
Tel: +353-87-132-3365
http://www.tarawatch.org

- Will Black, World Monuments Fund Britain
Tel: (44) 20 7730 5344, fax (44) 20 7730 5355
http://www.wmf.org enquiries@wmf.org.uk

TARA HARPERS TO GATHER AT DÁIL TO SAVE TARA
3.00 PM Saturday, 22nd September, 2007

On Saturday 22nd September 2007 at 3 p.m. the harpers of Ireland will gather at Dáil Éireann to demonstrate publicly the strength of their opposition to the destruction of historic cultural sites at the Tara/Skryne Valley as a result of the current route of the M3 motorway.

The harpers will assemble with their harps along Kildare Street, and will submit a petition to Minister John Gormley insisting he implement alternatives to the continued destruction which is taking place.Ireland is unique in having a musical instrument, the harp, as its national emblem. This indicates the primacy of the harp in Irish culture. The sites currently under threat are inextricably linked with the harping and bardic traditions for more than 2,500 years.

Tara was the gathering place for thousands of harpers to 142 kings, and the harp was an integral part of the ancient Irish parliament at Tara.

The harp has been used in the coat of arms of Ireland since 1270 and is the symbol of the Irish State today. It is found in the seals of the President, Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Government Ministers, on State currency and is the insignia of the Irish Law Courts.

Harpers will also be joined by Hothouse Flowers singer, Liam O Maonlai, who recently recorded a save Tara song.

Harper events will also take place in NY, Chicago, and Los Angeles outside Irish Consulates at the same time as the Dublin protest. In New York, Irish Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Paul Muldoon will join Irish Grammy Award-winning singer Susan McKeown, along with many other artists.

Contact:

- Tara Harpers Dublin - Laoise Kelly laoise.kelly@face.ie
Tel: +353-86-260-3405
http://www.myspace.com/taraharpers
http://www.myspace.com/taraharpersny

New York City
11:00AM Consulate General of Ireland 345 Park Avenue / 51st & 52nd St
Susan McKeown - savetarany@yahoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/TaraHarpersNY
* Irish Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Paul Muldoon, will attend.

Los Angeles
This demonstration will take place at 2.30-5.30pm Martin Luther King
Auditorium, Santa Monica.
Karin Wilson - kw@cmh2.com
(310) 828-3873
http://www.cmh2.com/savetara-la

Chicago
12 Noon-2pm Irish Embassy, Wrigley Building, 400 N.Michigan Avenue at
the Chicago River
Contact: Richard Wallace 312-855-1300 ricoworld@ameritech.net -
http://www.myspace.com/32fields

HUMAN HARP AERIAL PHOTO OF HILL OF TARA
3.00PM, Sunday, 23 September

Irish actor/director, Stuart Townsend will join his friend John Quigley in taking an aerial photograph of the Hill of Tara, with hundreds of demonstrators making a harp symbol on Sunday 23rd.

People are required to help create this aerial art event at Tara and those who wish to participate are asked to meet at the car park at 3pm. Participants are requested to wear white or a very light colour to contrast with the green grass. It is advisable to bring rain gear to sit or lie on. Between 500-1000 people are needed to spell out the words SAVE TARA VALLEY and also the outline of a harp on the hill.

John Quigley is internationally renowned for his environmental messages and images spelt out by human bodies and photographed from the air. The Sunday Times said: "Political protest has come a long way from banners and megaphones. These days if people have a message for the world, they form huge patterns that can be seen from the air - using human beings".

Among his striking images are SOS spelt by 35 people on an iceberg in Antarctica to bring attention to rising sea levels. Another photograph shows 600 people beside London's Eye spelling out STOP CLIMATE CHAOS.

This is a unique opportunity for members of the public to participate in the making of an iconic historical image of Tara, and express their opposition to the M3 route.

See also:

John Quigley Web Site
http://www.spectralq.com/

Battle in Seattle - The new move directed by Stuart Townsend
http://www.battleinseattlemovie.com/

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FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE MAIL info@tarawatch.org

http://www.tarawatch.org
http://www.myspace.com/hilloftara

+(353) 87-132-3365

POSTERS:

A3 Colour
http://frdcsa.org/tara/Tara_Harpers%20A3%20Colour.pdf

A4 Colour
http://frdcsa.org/tara/Tara_Harpers_A4.pdf

A4 Black and White
http://frdcsa.org/tara/Tara_Harpers_white.pdf

400 wide JPG
http://tarawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/harpers...m.jpg

520 wide JPG
http://tarawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/harpers...1.jpg