Press Releases

September 2004

30th Sept 04 - Action Group Calls on New Minister To Protect Woodstown Site
20th Sept 04 - Action Group Formed To Protect Woodstown Viking Site

30th September 2004

'Save Viking Waterford Action Group' Calls on New Minister To Protect Woodston Site

The 'Save Viking Waterford Action Group', have called on new Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, to make a commitment to the full excavation of the entire Woodstown Viking Site one of his first announcements in his new role. The National Monuments Act 2004, drafted by the previous Minister, Martin Cullen, invests the Minister for the Environment with arbitrary authority over Ireland's heritage.

The new act abolishes the democratic checks and balances which previously existed, meaning that Dick Roche now has sole authority over the future of the Woodstown Viking Site and other sites of crucial archaeological importance around the country.

Chair of the SVWAG, Dr. Catherine Swift in reaction to Mr. Roche's appointment: "Mr. Roche can make an auspicious start to his new job if he orders the full excavation of the Woodstown site, a site which potentially is one the most important archaeological finds in Europe. The previous Minister had prevaricated and delayed this decision for months, so we are calling on Dick Roche to grasp the nettle immediately".

Dr Swift continued: "The National Museum, the Heritage Council, the NRA and academics and scholars from across Ireland and Europe have called for the full excavation of Woodstown. We do not understand why the delay is necessary. The sooner the site is excavated, the sooner the bypass can be built. The hesitation denotes a propensity to put short-term economic interests ahead of the long-term benefits which would accrue from the excavation. It appears that the use of Public Private Partnership in the construction of the road may be a factor. The new Minister must put our heritage ahead of the profits for a private company.

20/09/04

SAVE VIKING WATERFORD ACTION GROUP FORMED TO PROTECT WOODSTOWN VIKING SITE

A group calling for the full excavation of the Woodstown Viking Site has been formed following a public meeting in Waterford City last week.

The 'Save Viking Waterford Action Group' was established following the formation of a committee at a meeting attended by over 100 people in the Granville Hotel on Thursday last. The Woodstown Viking Site, discovered just outside the city during preparations for the Waterford bypass has been described as: "The most significant new find in Viking studies in perhaps a century" by Professor Donnchadh O'Corrain, medieval historian at UCC. Archaeologists, historians, medievalists and conservationists from around the world have welcomed the find and it has been predicted that the site could be worth millions to the local economy in increased tourism revenue.

The Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen, has said he would make a decision on whether or not he would order a full excavation of Woodstown in the next month. Fears are increasing that he will only order a 'rescue' excavation, a partial digging which will fail to unearth the full wonders of Woodstown. The Save Viking Waterford Action Group have formulated five demands that we wish the Minister to meet in order to preserve the Woodstown site.

These are:
1. The Minister for the Environment orders the full excavation of the entire Woodstown Viking Site and not a partial or rescue excavation.
2. The excavation to be done by hand without the use of heavy machinery.
3. The route of the Waterford bypass to be excavated first with the surrounding areas excavated after, facilitating the construction of the bypass without re-routing or significant delay.
4. The state to bear the cost of the excavation.
5. Once the site has been fully excavated and artefacts removed, an interpretative centre/education facility to be constructed near the site utilising the knowledge gained from the excavation and acting as a tourist attraction for the region.

The Action Group will be organising a series of events in the coming weeks, including a series of public meetings and lectures with nationally and internationally renowned archaeologists and historians, a region wide petition and a fact-sheet outlining the importance of the Woodstown site. The campaign also hopes to organise a field trip to the site for members of the public interested in seeing the site which is believed to be the original Waterford.

The Action Group is also calling on community groups, trade unions, environmental and conservation groups, and all members of the public from around the region to support the campaign to excavate Woodstown fully for the cultural and economic benefit it would bring to the south-east.

The campaign has established a web-site: www.vikingwaterford.com where details of the campaign and upcoming events can be seen.