Work on the final controversial section of the M50 motorway in Dublin started today after the Minister for the Environment passed special legislation to allow the removal of the remains of a medieval castle.
The route, which passes through the ruined walls of Carrickmines Castle in south Dublin has been delayed by a two-year campaign of sit-in protests and legal battles by a protest group calling itself the Carrickminders. The group said today it would consider taking an injunction to halt the works.
Workers and officials from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Co re-entered the site at 8.30 a.m. this morning and began work under strict archaeological supervision.
The Minister for the Environment Mr Martin Cullen gave the official go-ahead for the project last week under the terms of the new National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 2004. This allows for the removal and partial destruction of some of the remains of the castle and site by the contractors.
However the Carrickminders group, which want the entire site preserved, said it served notice this morning on the local authority warning that the National Monuments (Amendment) Act is unconstitutional and that therefore any resumption of work is illegal.
Spokesman Mr Vincent Salafia said: "We are considering getting an interlocutory injunction in the High Court as early as tomorrow morning to stop the current work."
Mr Salafia, who is injuncted from entering the work site, said the Carrickminders wanted the council to respond to specific written queries on the construction work by 5 p.m. today or else it would bring legal proceedings.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Co claims the delays to the project have added €20 million to the cost of the South Eastern Motorway project, bringing its final estimated cost to €596 million.
Speaking from the site, the council's director of transportation Mr Eamonn O'Hare said today: "We are satisfied that we are acting within the law and barring any court injunctions, we hope to have the project completed by August 2005."
He added: "We believe we are fully complying with the directions of the courts and the provisions of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act."
The 9km project, which was originally due to open in October, will complete the C-ring M50 motorway route linking the N11 to the M1.
The Green Party said there was always room for compromise at Carrickmines and that the remains of the castle could not move, but the road can.
"It is outrageous that Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown Co Co have sent in the bulldozers to destroy a precious part of Ireland's built heritage," he said.
"The works today were made possible by the National Monuments Bill introduced by Martin Cullen, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It is absurd that a minister with responsibility for heritage would allow a road to destroy a precious part of our heritage."
Mr Cuffe visited the site today. He said: "I was appalled to see heavy earth moving equipment being used to remove sections of a medieval wall. I believe the works are being carried out with undue haste and that not enough effort is being put into recording the archeological evidence on-site.
"These works should be carried out by hand rather than with heavy machinery. Instead though, hundreds of years of history are being wiped away with every scoop of the JCB bucket."
Additional reporting: PA