Carrickmines ruins
Medieval castle's future
Forty percent of the medieval site at Carrickmines Castle in South Dublin is to be lost in order to complete the construction of the M50 motorway.
The Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan, said the decision left him feeling uncomfortable but the motorway needed to be completed on time and that the majority of the site would be preserved.
Mr Brennan pointed out that 200 archaeologists had spent two years working on the site at a cost of €6 million. He added that the castle's defensive wall would be moved and preserved for public access.
However, the move has been comdemned by Professor Sean Duffy of Trinity College. He said he was dismayed at the Minister's position, which he described as inappropriate.
Professor Duffy predicted that the fight to save the site was not over and would end up in the European courts.
The environmental group, An Taisce, said Minister Brennan had made only "two minor changes" to proposals put forward by the National Roads Authority and that his decision had been wrong.
