Paul Muldoon, originally from Ireland but now a professor in Princeton, the Pulitzer prize winning poet will read his poetry on Tara on 24th August at 3.30pm. This is the first day of heritage week and he will be joined by Laoise Kelly (harper) and by Susan McKeown, musician and singer from Dublin but now living in New York and others.
All welcome.

The Campaign to Save Tara would like to officially announce that John Quigley, an internationally renowned aerial artist, as well as Stuart Townsend will be creating a piece of human aerial art on the Hill of Tara on Sunday 23rd September.
People wanted to help create an aerial art event at Tara on that day - meeting at 3pm in the car park.
Wear white Bring rain gear to sit on.
Join us in creating a striking human aerial image to tell the world about the destruction of the Gabhra Valley.
Photo will be created by internationally renowned aerial artist John Quigley.

We need between 500-1000 people to spell out the words SAVE TARA VALLEY and the outline of a harp on the hill.
To see John Quigley's work visit his website: http://www.spectralq.com/

To give you some background - the first suggestion of this event arose in March of this year when Stuart approached me. Then John Quigley and himself came back with a firmer suggestion in August.
The original date was to be the 22nd Sept but that clashed with the Harpists event that is taking shape at present and spreading to America.
We tried to change the date to 29th Sept but there were flight
complications for those involved.
A number of phone conversations took place between the co-ordinator of CST and John Quigley over the past week. Then we had a phone conferencing call last night with Stuart John and myself and filled the co-ordinator in on the result.
We had a meeting tonight to iron out the details.
We will need about 30 volunteers to help shape the people into letters as well.
A press release will go out in the next few days.
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The Campaign to Save Tara is pleased to help the organisers by issuing a press release on the following events. Contacts are within the email.
Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
087-9249510
http://www.savetara.com

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.
It is an outrage that the Irish people should be forced to choose between infrastructure and heritage. As a country we are embarrassed internationally by profit-driven, shortsighted planning as exemplified by the fact that World Monument Fund has placed Tara on its list of 100 most endangered sites worldwide.
Many can rightly point out that it would be an archaeological loss, and a historical one. It is also a spiritual loss, since even before the conversion by St Patrick of Ireland’s High Kings it was a place where the Irish sought to express their spirituality. And significantly for us as a nation, it was the place of birth of Christianity in Ireland. The gathering of harpers says that it is also a musical and cultural loss and asserts that the sound of Tara’s harp will not be drowned by traffic jams and the cash registers of toll plazas.
Further information from www.myspace.com/TaraHarpers
Laoise Kelly Tel. 086 2603405 or laoise.kelly@face.ie
Anne-Marie O’Farrell 01

Another extraordinary day!
Conor Newman appointed to a new committee set up by the new Minister John Gormley on the henge at Lismullin.
They had their first meeting today - and the the EU petitions committee visited Tara and Conor was there to meet them again.
For a full report see Indymedia and the new photobucket.

Here they are:
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/83209
http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u...

But don't forget - you are needed to protest. People came over for the Solstice but they have gone home again now. Numbers are needed. Ring the Vigil number for information 086-1758557