Destruction of ancient heritage sites surrounding the world famous Turoe Stone continues ...

From: William Finnerty <newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: RE: Possible damage to archaeological monument in the New Inn area.
To: "Gearoid Conroy" <Gearoid.Conroy@environ.ie>
Cc: "Pauline Gleeson" <Pauline.Gleeson@environ.ie>, "Loughrea Garda Superintendent Enda P. Walshe" <crimprev@iol.ie>, "Republic of Ireland Chief Police Commissioner Fachtna Murphy" <Commissioner@garda.ie>, "Father Tom O'Connor)" <info@handofhistory.com>
Date: Friday, 25 March, 2011, 16:59

 

Dear Gearóid, Still feeling more than a little puzzled by your recent e-mails, I decided to re-visit what I believe is a very important ancient heritage site in the Carra area of New Inn earlier today. On the morning of Monday February 28th 2011, I accidentally happened to notice a large mechanical digger in the immediate area of the site in question. Further investigation revealed that a small part of the site had in fact already been removed at that time; and, as there was no sign of the digger driver, I left a message with a local person asking them to inform the driver digger when he returned that a) I believed it was a very important ancient heritage site, and b) that I was going directly to Loughrea Garda Station to report the matter. When I reported on the situation to a female member of the Garda Siochana (GA 316) at Loughrea Garda Station on Monday February 28th 2011 (at around lunchtime), she suggested that I discuss the matter with a more senior officer, who I understand was Sergeant Cronin (GA 43). I drew a map of the area where the site was located (close to Carra Cross) for Sergeant Cronin, and pointed out to him that the site in question was one of the very few easily accessible remaining segments (approximately 250 yards in length at the time) of the set of Iron Age linear defence embankments surrounding the world famous Turoe Stone, which Father Tom O'Connor has written about in his book titled "Hand of History - Burden of Pseudo-History", and also on his web site at: http://www.handofhistory.com I also provided Sergeant Cronin with the name of the local person (Mr Sean Madden) who I believe is the present owner of the land on which the site is located. On Wednesday March 2nd 2011, I deliberately passed the site in question and was pleased to see that no further digging appeared to have been done: which, allowing for the information I provided Sergeant Cronin with two days earlier, left me feeling that the site would now be safe from further damage. However, when I visited the site this morning, I found that most of the site has since been completely destroyed. Fortunately, there is still a piece (approximately 55 yards in length) remaining. Although parts of the remaining section (on the side furthest from the road) have also been badly damaged by the digger, I believe there is more than enough remaining for very meaningful and useful archaeological tests to be carried out. In connection with this point, please note that some years ago, I was advised by a professional archaeologist that there are, for example, very well known and very straightforward ways for determining the age of such structures. Kind regards, William Finnerty ====================== --- On Thu, 24/3/11, Gearoid Conroy <Gearoid.Conroy@environ.ie> wrote:   From: Gearoid Conroy <Gearoid.Conroy@environ.ie> Subject: RE: Possible damage to archaeological monument in the New Inn area. To: "William Finnerty" <newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "Pauline Gleeson" <Pauline.Gleeson@environ.ie> Date: Thursday, 24 March, 2011, 12:56   Thank you Mr. Finnerty. Regards. Gearóid.   Gearóid Conroy. Archaeologist Archaeological Survey of Ireland National Monuments Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 3rd Floor, Plaza Offices, Headford Road, Galway. 091-704207   email: gearoid.conroy@environ.ie From: William Finnerty [newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: 24 March 2011 12:49 To: Gearoid Conroy Cc: Pauline Gleeson Subject: RE: Possible damage to archaeological monument in the New Inn area.   Dear Gearóid, Lots of damage has been done to lots of ancient archaeological monuments in the New Inn area, and some have been either partly or completely destroyed. I have looked at the www.archaeology.ie web site you mentioned in your last e-mail to me; and, as far as I am concerned, the list for the Galway area I have looked at appears to me to be a very long way from being complete. Consequently, and unless you can be much more specific regarding the particular site which you seem to have in mind, I feel I cannot be of any real help to you. Best wishes, William Finnerty. =============================== --- On Wed, 23/3/11, Gearoid Conroy <Gearoid.Conroy@environ.ie> wrote:   From: Gearoid Conroy <Gearoid.Conroy@environ.ie> Subject: RE: Possible damage to archaeological monument in the New Inn area. To: "William Finnerty" <newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "Pauline Gleeson" <Pauline.Gleeson@environ.ie> Date: Wednesday, 23 March, 2011, 13:03   Dear Mr. Finnerty, many thanks for your very prompt reply and offer of help. I wrote to you because I believed that you had concerns about damage that may have occurred to an archaeological monument in the New Inn area, and I was hoping that you might have been in a position to direct me towards the monument in question. We (the National Monument Service) have a map-based web site on which all known archaeological monuments are included. If it was convenient for you, could you visit our web site at www.archaeology.ie If you could identify the monument about which you have concerns and email me its number (which will appear on the web mapping) I'll be able to go out and inspect. Yours sincerely. Gearóid. Gearóid Conroy. Archaeologist Archaeological Survey of Ireland National Monuments Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 3rd Floor, Plaza Offices, Headford Road, Galway. 091-704207   email: gearoid.conroy@environ.ie From: William Finnerty [newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: 22 March 2011 12:20 To: Gearoid Conroy Cc: Pauline Gleeson Subject: Re: Possible damage to archaeological monument in the New inn area.   Dear Gearóid, Thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately, I feel I cannot sensibly get involved in telephone conversations (or any other kind of conversations) regarding the issues in question, and this is because of the C-PTSD injuries I referred to in a registered letter I copied to Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton TD on March 16th 2011. A copy of the text of the letter in question, which contains reference to the C-PTSD injuries, can be viewed at the following www location: http://www.humanrightsireland.com/SWSO/Longford/Letter16March2011.htm However, I do not have any problems writing about any of the several issues involved -- which are referred in the texts at the www address just above -- and which do (indirectly) include the destruction of local heritage sites. If you could let me know (by e-mail please) which of the several heritage sites (that I have in the past expressed concern about) it is that you have written to me about, I would be glad to help you in any way I reasonably can by providing you with further information. In the meantime, some (at least) of the local heritage sites I have been involved in trying to protect can be viewed on the Google list via the following www link: http://tinyurl.com/5wqtaqc I hope this e-mail will be of some help to you, and that you will understand my need at the present time to avoid getting involved in conversations (with anybody) about the issues in question. Kind regards, William Finnerty. =========================== --- On Mon, 21/3/11, Gearoid Conroy <Gearoid.Conroy@environ.ie> wrote:   From: Gearoid Conroy <Gearoid.Conroy@environ.ie> Subject: Possible damage to archaeological monument in the New inn area. To: "newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk" <newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk> Cc: "Pauline Gleeson" <Pauline.Gleeson@environ.ie> Date: Monday, 21 March, 2011, 17:26   Dear Mr. Finnerty, your email address was forwarded to me. Could you reply with a contact phone number, so that I could give you a ring, hopefully tomorrow - but at your convenience- to get some details on the monument involved? (I would need to follow up and inspect any reports of damage to a protected monument.) Many thanks. Gearóid.   Gearóid Conroy   Archaeological Survey of Ireland National Monuments Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 3rd Floor, Plaza Offices, Headford Road, Galway.   091-704207 gearoid.conroy@environ.ie     ********************************************************************** Is faoi rún agus chun úsáide an té nó an aonán atá luaite leis, a sheoltar an ríomhphost seo agus aon comhad atá nasctha leis. Má bhfuair tú an ríomhphost seo trí earráid, déan teagmháil le bhainisteoir an chórais. Deimhnítear leis an bhfo-nóta seo freisin go bhfuil an teachtaireacht ríomhphoist seo scuabtha le bogearraí frithvíorais chun víorais ríomhaire a aimsiú. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by anti-virus software for the presence of computer viruses. **********************************************************************   ********************************************************************** Is faoi rún agus chun úsáide an té nó an aonán atá luaite leis, a sheoltar an ríomhphost seo agus aon comhad atá nasctha leis. Má bhfuair tú an ríomhphost seo trí earráid, déan teagmháil le bhainisteoir an chórais. Deimhnítear leis an bhfo-nóta seo freisin go bhfuil an teachtaireacht ríomhphoist seo scuabtha le bogearraí frithvíorais chun víorais ríomhaire a aimsiú. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by anti-virus software for the presence of computer viruses. **********************************************************************   ********************************************************************** Is faoi rún agus chun úsáide an té nó an aonán atá luaite leis, a sheoltar an ríomhphost seo agus aon comhad atá nasctha leis. Má bhfuair tú an ríomhphost seo trí earráid, déan teagmháil le bhainisteoir an chórais. Deimhnítear leis an bhfo-nóta seo freisin go bhfuil an teachtaireacht ríomhphoist seo scuabtha le bogearraí frithvíorais chun víorais ríomhaire a aimsiú. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by anti-virus software for the presence of computer viruses. **********************************************************************