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<< Our Photo Pages >> Bremore Port - Passage Grave in Ireland (Republic of) in Co. Meath

Submitted by Andy B on Saturday, 19 June 2010  Page Views: 16168

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Bremore Port
Country: Ireland (Republic of) County: Co. Meath Type: Passage Grave
Nearest Town: Balbriggan  Nearest Village: Bremore
Latitude: 53.630295N  Longitude: 6.191178W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
1 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
no data Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Bremore Port
Bremore Port submitted by ESgt : Bremore main mound. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Passage Graves in Co. Meath. Construction of the new deep-sea port at Bremore, Balbriggan, could be delayed by years because the land due for development is of archaeological importance. The site, which comprising of several hundred acres, contains the remnants of a number of passage tombs and practically every field, which the new Drogheda Port Company facility will be built on, contains early Neolithic archaeology.

“The tombs at Bremore are of an earlier date than that of Newgrange and Fourknocks. They are very early Neolithic and this has been recorded before,” said local historian Brendan Matthews.

“The tombs are only the start of the archaeology in the area. I walk the fields there regularly and I have collected bags of flint objects including scrapers and arrowheads.”

An archaeological excavation undertaken in 1840 on a tomb at Knocknagin at the Delvin River uncovered a number of early Neolithic finds and stones around the tomb had no drawings engraved on them pointing to an earlier date than that of Newgrange.

Finds in the area point to Bremore being one of the first ever sites of Neolithic settlement in Ireland.

Due to its closeness to Anglesey Island, Ireland would have been the most logical next stop for Neolithic people looking to settle on other lands.
“There are tombs in Anglesey that are of the same type and roughly in the same timeframe as the ones at Bremore,” said Brendan.

The E300 million development was given the green light by the government after the Transport and Marine Minister Noel Dempsey stated that he intended to give permission to the Drogheda company.
Last week Drogheda Port Company officially announced its partnership with Castle Market Holdings Ltd. for the development.

But according to Brendan if archaeological surveys go ahead on the lands at Bremore, there will be no chance of the port being completed by 2012.
“From an archaeological point of view, it would take a number of years for comprehensive surveys to be carried out on the land. I was told by an archaeologist that one single tomb at Bremore would take a good part of two years to excavate and record.”

“Even to record the amount of flint in the area would take a number of years due to seasonal ploughing of the land,” he said.
Anthony Murphy of www.mythicalireland.com said, “The remnants of the passage tombs at Bremore are Neolithic and are on the same timeline as Newgrange.”

“These are no ordinary fields, it has been recorded that there is significant archaeology on the land.”

Brendan has raised the point that this part of the East coast is a very important area for the whole of Ireland and something should be done to highlight this fact.

“Due to the amount of flint objects being upturned by ploughing in the fields, many archaeologists believe that this area was a major flint producing community and there is a possibility of there being a Neolithic flint producing village on the land.”

“With the port company introducing a passenger ferry service from Bremore, passengers should roll off the ferry and straight into an interpretive centre highlighting the local heritage of the area,” Brendan added.

The Drogheda Leader contacted the Drogheda Port Company but they were unavailable for comment at the time of print.

Source: Drogheda Leader

Note: An Taisce hails ruling on port expansion see comment.
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Bremore Port
Bremore Port submitted by ainsloch : The remains of the large central passage mound at Bremore (Vote or comment on this photo)

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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
O1965 : View north from Bremore, Co. Dublin by Kieran Campbell
by Kieran Campbell
©2008(licence)
O1965 : Passage tombs at Bremore, Co. Dublin by Kieran Campbell
by Kieran Campbell
©2008(licence)
O1965 : Passage tomb cemetery at Bremore, Co. Dublin by Kieran Campbell
by Kieran Campbell
©2009(licence)
O1965 : Inlet and burial mound at Bremore, Co. Dublin by Kieran Campbell
by Kieran Campbell
©2007(licence)
O1965 : Burial mounds by the sea at Bremore, Co. Dublin by Kieran Campbell
by Kieran Campbell
©2007(licence)

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 1.8km WNW 285° Knocknagin* Passage Grave
 9.0km WSW 257° Greenanstown Stone Circle (O110637)
 9.2km ESE 123° St Patrick's Island Early Christian Sculptured Stone
 9.7km WSW 247° Fourknocks* Passage Grave (O10856202)
 9.8km WSW 254° Micknanstown* Passage Grave
 13.2km NNW 338° Baltray* Standing Stones
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 18.2km WNW 298° Dowth Henge* Henge (O034742)
 18.4km WNW 297° Dowth Hall* Passage Grave
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 19.2km WNW 291° Newgrange Standing Stones* Standing Stones
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 20.0km WNW 301° Townleyhall Passage Tomb* Passage Grave (O0222075723)
 20.1km WNW 291° Newgrange* Passage Grave (O00747272)
 20.1km WNW 291° Newgrange Stone Circle* Stone Circle (O007727)
 20.1km WNW 289° Recently Discovered Prehistoric Cropmark near Newgrange* Misc. Earthwork
 21.3km WNW 292° Knowth Timber Circle* Timber Circle (N997734)
 21.3km WNW 292° Knowth* Passage Grave (N99697342)
 22.1km NW 318° Muiredach's Cross (Monasterboice)* Ancient Cross (O044820)
 23.8km S 178° St Doulagh's Holy Well (Balgriffin) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SG2230999210)
 25.0km WSW 247° Moyer Carns Cairn
 25.3km WNW 293° Hill of Slane* Artificial Mound
 25.9km NW 314° Tinure* Rock Art (O005835)
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An Taisce hails ruling on port expansion by coldrum on Saturday, 19 June 2010
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An Taisce hails ruling on port expansion

NO EXTENSION of Drogheda Port into north Co Dublin will be approved by the Department of Transport at least until after the proposed deepwater container port at Bremore/Gormanston goes through the planning process.

In a letter to An Taisce, which had objected to the proposal, the maritime division of the Department said: “Having considered the matter further the Department has decided not to proceed with the extension of the harbour limits for the present.” The letter made it clear that “the most appropriate juncture for such an extension [of the harbour limits] to be considered would be after the proposal has been through the planning process” — and this is now at a preliminary site investigation stage.

Calling the decision “commendable”, An Taisce said it expected that the proposed development by Drogheda Port in partnership with Treasury Holdings would be subjected to strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in line with the Lisbon Treaty.

An Taisce’s Monuments and Antiquities Committee had expressed concern that the associated development of a deepwater port at either Bremore or Gormanston would “seriously impact” on neolithic passage tomb complexes in both of these locations.

Dr Mark Clinton, the committee’s chairman, noted that Gormanston “lies at the southern end of a renowned stretch of sandy beaches. These beaches cater for a broad catchment area, stretching from the hinterland of east Meath into north Co Dublin”.

Meath County Council has conceded that the wastewater situation in east Meath “is deteriorating due to capacity issues in the treatment plants in Drogheda and Ringsend, Dublin. This results in a serious constraint in the servicing of zoned lands in east Meath”.

Last February, a spokesman for Treasury Holdings said the developers were anxious to avoid the “very significant” archaeological site on Bremore headland and were considering the option of locating it in the less sensitive Gormanston area, to the north.

But one of the constraints there is that the likely site is partly covered by an EU-designated special protection area (SPA) for wild birds.

An Bord Pleanála is due to make a decision shortly on controversial plans by the port to infill a further 52 acres of Dublin Bay. The port company’s application attracted more than 100 objections, including one from Dublin City Council calling it “premature”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0517/1224270549516.html
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Re: Bremore by frogcottage42 on Tuesday, 23 February 2010
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The debate here rolls on;
Today's Irish Times reports:((

“Ireland needs a deepwater port; the IDA (Industrial Development Authority) is conscious that we are losing projects because we don’t have one,” according to the spokesman.

An Taisce’s monuments and antiquities committee has warned that any port development at Bremore would “completely obliterate a passage tomb cemetery of neolithic date with affinities to Newgrange and a mid-16th century historic harbour site”.

Commenting on the possibility that it could be relocated to Gormanston, committee chairman Dr Mark Clinton said it would be likely to affect a sandy beach “most beloved in the locality” and shoreline that forms part of the river Nanny SPA.

Any such plan would require a full assessment of its environmental effects to be prepared and placed before the public prior to being approved.

“It would appear that the exact opposite of these legal requirements is in motion,” Dr Clinton said.

He also queried the need for a new port, noting that throughput at Drogheda Port had fallen by 50 per cent in 2008, according to its most recent set of accounts, while business at Dublin Port was down by 10 per cent.

“There is no need for a new deepwater port,” he said.))

Well to summarise , they may save an important historic site currently enjoying state protection by destroying another that they deem less important, in order to build a facility which no one currently can afford, for a market which is shrinking in an area with dozens of brownfield sites and numerous opportunities to extend existing freight ports.
A cynical person might ask; who owns land in the area?
Apparently not the people whose remains justified the building of these impressive tombs and in the current economic situation it's likely future owners will be the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA)
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Campaign against new Bremore port by coldrum on Monday, 04 January 2010
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THE Save Bremore group has launched its campaign against the proposed siting of Drogheda Port just outside Balbriggan at the pioneering Martin Brennan conference at Newgrange. The aim of the group is to highlight the threat of major industrial development and the choice of venue for the launch became apparent as eminent archaeologist Professor George Eogan pointed out that Bremore may have been the first point of entry for the settlements of what is now known as Fingal/East Meath and the Boyne Valley area. The heritage in question here consists of the Bremore Passage Tomb Complex - a National Monument, a series of several unclassified monuments in the Knocknagin townland as well as the mid 16th century Newhaven Bay.

Joe Fenwick, Dept of Archaeology, NUI Galway, told the Save Bremore group that 'in terms of archaeological importance, the passage tomb cemetery at Bremore can be compared with The Mound of the Hostages; one of the earliest monuments to have been built on the Hill of Tara'.

According to the group, the Bremore-Gormanston coastline is among the most beautiful and unspoiled areas of coast left on the north east side of Ireland.


http://www.fingal-independent.ie/news/campaign-against-new-bremore-port-1984922.html
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Re: Bremore on You Tube by coldrum on Monday, 04 January 2010
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaqNJbq9jWE
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Bremore group begin battle to save historic site by coldrum on Monday, 04 January 2010
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THE Save Bremore group took the opportunity of launching their campaign at the pioneering Martin Brennan conference at Newgrange on Sunday December 20th.

The aim of the group is to highlight the threat of major industrial development and the choice of venue for the launch became apparent as eminent archaeologist Professor George Eogan pointed out that Bremore may have been the first point of entry for the settlements of what is now known as Fingal/East Meath and the Boyne Valley area.

The heritage in question here consists of the Bremore Passage Tomb Complex-a National Monument, a series of several unclassified monuments in the Knocknagin townland as well as the mid 16th century Newhaven Bay.

Joe Fenwick, Dept of Archaeology, NUI Galway, told the Save Bremore group that 'in terms of archaeological importance, the passage tomb cemetery at Bremore can be compared with The Mound of the Hostages; one of the earliest monuments to have been built on the Hill of Tara'.

According to the group, the BremoreGormanston coastline is among the most beautiful and unspoiled areas of coast left on the north east side of Ireland.

'However, this idyllic landscape is under serious threat of being destroyed in order to make room for a massive deep water port and the associated infrastructure, pollution and industrial and suburban sprawl that this will bring,' said spokesman Brendan Matthews.

The group feels that why Drogheda Port needs to expand has not been clarified. ' This planned 'all-in-one' gigantic port will rob Dublin city of its port, it will mean less employment and less chances for all the other struggling ports,' added Brendan.


http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/news/bremore-group-begin-battle-to-save-historic-site-1986384.html
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Re: Port threat to passage tombs by coldrum on Monday, 04 January 2010
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SAVE BREMORE

Yesterday the Save Bremore group officially launched their campaign to coincide with the Martin Brennan conference at Newgrange. The Save Bremore group hope to highlight the threat of major industrial development to the North County Dublin area near Balbriggan.



The Bremore-Gormonstown coastline is among the most beautiful and unspoiled areas of coast left on the north east side of Ireland. The wide open beaches provide a much needed amenity in the area and are home to many varied species of wildlife and migrating water fowl. These waters are also home to rare seal colonies. Along the coastal strip badgers, foxes and hares can be seen in abundance.



However, this idyllic landscape is under serious threat of being destroyed in order to make room for a massive $300 million deep water port and the associated infrastructure, pollution and industrial and suburban sprawl that this will bring. Drogheda Port Company has launched a process to have this port included under the Strategic Infrastructure Act and if successful they could use this Act to bypass much of our current environmental and heritage protection. This must not be allowed to happen.



Why Drogheda Port needs to expand has not been clarified. The ten state ports in Ireland are all under performing, all have spare capacity and all urgently need aid. Industrial production is in free fall, jobs are being lost and our economy may never again reach the heights obtained when this development was first planned. Experts tell us that the world of production will move to Asia and that a service and smart economy will survive here, yet the plans for this port proceed as though the opposite is true.

This planned �all in one� gigantic port will rob Dublin city of its port, it will mean less employment and less chances for all the other struggling ports. It will centralize shipping into a narrow built up and deeply populated channel area bringing with it the dangers of spills, pollution and accidents. It makes no sense under any modern form of thought. The Save Bremore group call for an independent study based on the economic now, on the reality of the future, before a development is allowed which will again wreck our history, heritage and environment.



The heritage in question here consists of the Bremore Passage Tomb Complex- a National Monument, a series of several unclassified monuments in the Knocknagin townland as well as the mid 16th century Newhaven Bay.



As with Tara, the surrounding landscape consists of a rich archaeological heritage.



Eminent Archaeologist Prof George Eogan has stated that �Bremore may have been the first point of entry for the settlements of what is now known as Fingal/East Meath and the Boyne Valley area�.



According to Dr. Mark Clinton of An Taisce " the two cemetery complexes must be considered within the greater context of other passage tombs nearby at Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange", and also that " it would be more appropriate that the World Heritage site of Br� na B�inne be extended to include the Bremore- Gormanstown complexes rather than Drogheda Port extended to include them. In terms of archaeological importance Bremore is comparable with Tara: Tara started with a passage tomb known as The Mound of the Hostages and developed over different periods: likewise the Bremore tombs would appear to be the start of Br� na B�inne. The parallel is clear- no Mound of the Hostages no Tara: no Bremore no Newgrange"



Prof Cooney of UCD also had this to say; � There is agreement across the archaeological community that if they were bulldozed it would be a national loss given the number of sites we know, the potential significance of them and the fact there's a complex of them�.



Joe Fenwick, Dept of Archaeology NUI Galway told the

Read the rest of this post...
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Port threat to passage tombs by coldrum on Thursday, 01 October 2009
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Port threat to passage tombs

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.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0902/1224253663259.html
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Prehistoric mounds under threat near Dublin by Andy B on Thursday, 25 June 2009
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A €300m deep water port planned at Balbriggan Co Dublin (Ireland) is concerning archaeologists and experts. This scenic and archaeologically rich area is under threat from industrial development.

Bremore contains 6000-year-old Neolithic tombs and has been mooted as the new M3 and many protests are expected to emerge against development of this area.

Bremore Passage tomb cemetery is located on a rocky promontory with extensive views of the coastline, as far north as the Mourne Mountains. The Bremore tombs belong to a wider group known as the Breamore/Gormanston group that extends long the coast on either side of the mouth of the river Delvin. This is in itself significant as it indicates they were a 'landing point' and the start of the western expansion of tombs inland to Fourknocks. Passage tombs are thought to have originated from Iberia and the Bremore tombs would therefore represent an early stage in the developmental sequence.

In the record of monuments it says that Bremore complex consists of five mounds, the largest measuring c.30m in diameter and c.3.3m in height. This is surrounded by four other mounds surviving from 9m-15m in diameter and from 0.5m-0.75m in height. This layout is typical of other passage tomb cemeteries. However on a recent inspection only four of these mounds have been found.

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. These mounds are National Monuments, 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. 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 it looks the site is being prepared for its final destruction.

Sources:

http://bremore.blogspot.com/2009/05/bremore.html

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92550
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Re: Bremore by coldrum on Friday, 23 January 2009
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Posted by mythical_ireland

Bremore decision is a vindication for the heritage conservation lobby

The decision to move large parts of the proposed port infrastructure at Bremore, North Dublin, away from an area containing a cluster of Stone Age passage tombs is a vindication for the heritage conservation lobby, an expert on ancient Ireland has said.

Anthony Murphy, author of 'Island of the Setting Sun – In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers', says that the planning decision avoids a probable decade-long battle between the archaeological community and the project's developers.

“Clearly, the backers of this proposal understand the nature and sensitivity of the archaeological complex at Bremore, and the scale of the legal battle which they would have to engage in if they proceeded with this flawed plan,” said Mr. Murphy.

Some campaigners had identified the Bremore port as "the next M3 battle".

“The Bremore complex is a cluster of passage-tombs, many examples of which are over 5,000 years old. Any proposal which would envisage the large-scale development in close proximity to such monuments is clearly untenable,” said Mr. Murphy.

Other passage-tomb complexes in Ireland include the world heritage site at Brú na Bóinne, incorporating the best-known examples of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. Further examples are found on the hills of Loughcrew in Meath and at Carrowmore and Carrowkeel in Sligo.

“We are not dealing with a humble ringfort or souterrain here. Bremore is a site of national, if not international, importance, and utterly deserves conservation as a surviving remnant of a very distant age.”

Mr. Murphy, whose book attempts to unravel the purpose of ancient passage mounds by providing a thought-provoking merger of the studies of archaeology, astronomy and folklore, says a definitive plan for the preservation and protection of the Bremore monuments should now be put in place.

“These sites should not be just left to rot and decay in the landscape. We need a real plan to protect them for future generations. Other passage-tombs a short distance away at the Delvin estuary were destroyed as the sea encroached upon the coastline. Clearly, we don't want this to happen at Bremore.”

“The whole debacle over the construction of the M3 motorway through the Tara-Skryne valley shows that at Government level, there has been little or no concern for Ireland's ancient heritage, and development will come no matter what the cost.”

“However, there are a growing band of people, myself included, who believe we can have development and jobs and keep our heritage also. There are significant benefits to protecting, preserving and promoting our ancient sites, not least from a tourism perspective.”

“The latest news about Bremore is very welcome. It vindicates the stance taken by many groups, individuals and academics over the past decade relating to the route of the M3. While some may feel the M3 battle is lost, clearly the Bremore decision indicates that much greater consideration will be given to heritage sites in the future.”

“The cynical way of looking at this is that those involved just want to avoid lengthy legal battles and project delays, but the ultimate outcome is that Bremore will be saved from the awful fate which developers and some archaeologists call 'Preservation by Record', but which others call 'Destruction by Documentation'.”

This is a victory for common sense and a good decision by the port's backers. What it means is that the project may not now be delayed by legal moves and in fact the jobs will come sooner rather than later.

ENDS

The original decision is reported in the Meath Chronicle:
Bremore decision is a vindication for the heritage conservation lobby
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Re: Bremore by coldrum on Wednesday, 21 May 2008
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Archaeologist raises fears over new port site

DROGHEDA Port Company`s plans for a new deep water port at Bremore near Balbriggan have run into controversy after a leading Meath archaeologist said that the chosen site was of huge archaeological and historical significance and could have been the place where St Patrick first landed in Ireland.
The company plans to build the major new port at a cost of €300 million. However, Meath archaeologist Professor George Eogan, known for his work on the Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth archaeological sites, says that the area contains a unified prehistoric cemetery of mounds that extends for over a mile, from Gormanston, north of the Delvin river, to Bremore, which is to the south of the river. The river marks the boundary between Meath and Fingal.
He said that Bremore had the appearance of being a landing place for early people coming to Ireland and that passage tombs were the likely burial places for people coming from the Iberian peninsula.
The site at Bremore had been surveyed by Professor Etienne Rynne from NUI Galway in 1960 but has not yet been excavated.
Professor Eogan told the Irish Times: "This does not detract from the importance of Bremore and Gormanston. There`s enough evidence to say that it`s contemporary with the Boyne Valley. I would be concerned about the destruction of irreplaceable monuments."
The Neolithic cemetery of passage tombs at Bremore has been the subject of a preservation order for over 30 years and any development of the site would need to appropriately protect the monuments. It is thought that the tombs are of similar antiquity to the oldest monuments in the Boyne Valley, perhaps dating back to 3,000BC.
Professor Eogan said that in addition to the archaeological significance of Bremore, there was also evidence that it was around the mouth of the Delvin that St Patrick landed in Ireland for the first time, making it a historically important site. He pointed out that there were several alternative locations along the east coast for a port of the kind proposed by the company.
Drogheda Port Company has invested significant resources to its plan for the port, in conjunction with Treasury Holdings and the major Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa to develop a modern deepwater port, with an initial capacity of 10 million tonnes of freight per annum.
In January this year, the Government announced that it wanted to speed up the process of planning for the port and transferred compulsory purchase powers for the acquisition of lands by the Drogheda Port Company to An Bord Pleanala. The port company has a target of a year from now in submitting a full planning application and it hoped to open the new port by 2012.
The Drogheda company has set out the ambitious expansion plan because it says that it has run out of spare capacity. It says that a full assessment of the area would be carried out before any application for planning permission was lodged.

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/story.asp?stID=2465&cid=126&cid2=134
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Re: Bremore by Anonymous on Saturday, 29 December 2007
Extremely interesting, this. I have sent a copy to a friend of mine in Malahide. She is a retired lecturer in psychology and is very interested in the Ancients. I know she will appreciate this. Best wishes for New Year2008. Spiritseeker
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