Judicial hearing granted over M50 row

The High Court has deferred until next month a hearing on an attempt to hold a judicial review of the latest twist in the row about the M50 roundabout at Carrickmines Castle in south county Dublin.

The hearing was put back to the New Year to allow Dunlaoighaire-Rathdown County Council and the Minister for the Environment time to prepare their case.

Earlier this month, the High Court lifted an interlocutury injunction preventing the National Roads Authority and the local authority from conducting any work on the medieval site.

Historically, the castle was an English military fort which protected the Pale from the native Irish in Co Wickow.

Under plans endorsed by the Ministers for Transport and the Environment, a section will be removed to make way for an M50 roundabout.

The National Roads Authority and Dun Laoghaire County Council argue millions has already been spent employing hundreds of archaeologists to fully investigate the site and, now that the work has been done, the road should go ahead.

However, protestors want to keep the whole site intact and argue the roundabout can be moved.