County councillors in County Meath, Ireland, have agreed to consut archaeologists over plans to build the controversial M3 motorway.
    The proposed road would pass close to the historic Hill of Tara, and surveys have identified 28 sites of potential archaeological importance on the section near the Tara/Skryne valley.
    County councillors have no statutory role in the routing of the project. But some councillors, including Sinn Féin's Joe Reilly, are arguing for the right of county councillors to campaign for a change of route, while independent councillor Brian Fitzgerald believes the motorway should be built in phases, starting with the section from Clonee to Dunshaughlin, so that further archaeological research can be carried out on the Dunshaughlin to Navan section.
    The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the National Museum of Ireland are currently discussing the matter, and are due to produce a report soon, with the appointment of a contractor scheduled for September 2005, and construction beginning at the end of 2005.

Source: Irish Times (8 September 2004)