Gounty Development Plan Review, Planning Policy and Projects Unit, Ti pperary County Cou ncil, Civic Offices, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, EglN512.

To whom it concerns,

Suir Valley Environmental Group wishes to make the following submissions for inclusion in the new Gounty Development Plan. Our Group came into existence in 2013 after attempts by both Eirgrid and Dunoair to build massive pylons and massive wind turbines on the foothills of Sliabh na mBan and the Suir Valley. Our Group holds regular meetings and annual guided tours of our local environment and surrounds. We are involved with a local group in the promotion and organization of the Solstice event at Knockroe Megalithic Tomb which now attracts over 500 visitors for the event. We organise seminars and other events as the need arises and promote ways of addressing our future energy needs without destroying our beautiful local and historic heritage.

1: Sliabh na mBan in beauty, stature and historical significance has to be the focal point of all South even indeed all Tipperary. The Cairn that adornes its summit, which adds to its charm, still retains many secrets yet to be discovered and generates debate as to its construction,purpose and what it contains and has lent its mystery to many who have tried to define it.

2:lt is essential at the start of any County Development Plan to recognise in a definitive way the wonderful natural God given beauty that is our inheritance and to see and value what we are blessed to possess and not to in any way ruin or destroy what is the breathtaking beauty that is ours to enjoy. lt is our duty to pass it on to the next generation in an enhanced condition while guarding its natural beauty, protecting its glorious historical features for allwho live in, visit or pass through this mystical wondrous, fertile and enthralling Premier County which we are most fortunate to call our home.

3: areas already currently zoned Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development in South Tipperary must remain protected in full. ln particular, both the areas currently zoned 'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development' in the Linguan Valley Marginal and Farmland Mosaic and the Slievenamon Mountain Mosaic must retain their protected status in the new county Development plan.

Wind turbines would damage the cultural and image value of Slievenamon. To allow wind energy development on the lower slopes enclosing the Lingaun Valley plateau would also damage the cultural and image value of Slievenamon.

Wind turbines would also significantly damage the existing values and character of the area, including the'nationolly significant orchaeological ond built heritage sites in the wider oreo' referred to by Tipperary County Council Planning Section in the schedule of reasons for refusal for a wind turbine in this area in 2015, (Planning File Reference No. 15600699). Similarly another wind turbine development was refused by Tipperary County Council in the area in 2016 citing "the significont adverse impocts thot the proposed development would have on orchoeology ond culturol heritoge of this area ond on londscope and visuol omenity" (Planning File Reference No. 16600ss2) This decision was subsequently upheld be An Bord Pledla in July 2OL7 citing "/t is considered thot the proposed development, because of its location on o prominent ridge within a notionolly important landscope fromed by Slievenamon Mountain and within sight of o number of historic monuments (inctuding Bounfree and Knockroe possoge tombs and early Christion and medieval sites), in oddition to Costletown Cox demesne, would hove unocceptable visuol ond landscape PL 92.2471.90 Boord Order Poge 3 of 3 impacts in such a sensitive oreo."

4: The entire Lingaun Valley Marginal and Farmland Mosaic, must be zoned 'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development' for reasons of the unique heritage and archaeology of the area, namely Knockroe Megalithic Passage Tomb and the Ahenny High Crosses, which form part of the Western Ossory High Crosses Complex. Any large scale wind development in the vicinity of these vulnerable monuments would irrevocably damage the visual quality of the archaeological heritage of the area, described as 'a fragile and non-renewable cultural resource' (Article 2 of the ICOMOS Charter for the Protection and Management of the Archaeological Heritage (1990)) and seriously conflict with the Conservation Plans of these sites as recommended by the Office of Public Works.

'Although the lond uses in the immediote vicinity of the monument ore unlikely to chonge rodicolly in the foreseeoble future, there is potential for developments remote from the site to offect the preservation of its significance in an odverse manner. Developments thot would interfere with the visuol connection with Baunfree and Sliobh Na Mban fall into this cotegory'. (Chonges in Land lJse,4.6, pg 27, Conservation Plan, Knockroe Passoge Tomb, Morgaret Quinlqn Architects on beholf of The Office of Public Works). il. Londscape is a vital element in the siting of these monuments ond it should receive full protection from large scale developments such os wind forms and forestry'. (Conservation Policies, Protection, 6.3.6 Protect views ond prospect, pg 66, Conservation Plon Western Ossory High Crosses prepared for the OPW by Morgaret Quinlon Architects).

Any changes in zoning in the Lingaun Valley Marginal and Farmland Mosaic must take into consideration the County Development Plans of neighbouring counties, in this case Kilkenny which has a shared responsibility for the protection of this archaeological landscape,

l. 'The enclosure of the areo by Sliobh Na Mban and the rim of hills to the north ond south, the scenic views within the areo ond the intimacy ond scale of the orea's londscope pattern, result in o significant oesthetic omenity.' (Appendix 1 Consolidated Landscape Character Areas of Tipperary, pg 71, Socio-Cultural Landscape Values.)

5: The threat of large scale visually intrusive developments in the Sliabh na mBan, Suir Valley and Lingaun Valley areas has invigorated the local communities who have come together through various organisations to most recently form the Lingaun Valley Tourism Group. Through its various efforts this Group has got recognition and funding from Tipperary County Council ,Kilkenny County Council, European Union etc and Ancient East tourism to promote the whole area and published a very informative brochure for distribution in promoting and valuing the wonderful historical and cultural area. They also promote tourism through a very educational stand at the annual lverk Show

6:Wind energy development in the Lingaun Valley Marginal and Farmland Mosaic would not only be detrimental to the area itself, but would also significantly damage the existing values and character of the Sliabh Na Mban Mountain Mosaic, which is considered 'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development' The Linguan Valley Marginaland Farmland Mosaic is an integral part of the Sliabh Na Mban Mountain Mosaic and therefore should also be zoned as'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development'.

The area of the Linguan Valley Marginal and Farmland Mosaic, is enclosed on the north, west and south by areas which are zoned as 'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development'. On the eastern side of this area lies County Kilkenny whose County Development Plan includes the Linguan Valley Marginal and Farmland Mosaic as a Protected View.

7: ln conclusion I wish to reiterate that, for the above reasons : 7. The areas currently zoned 'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development' must remain protected 2. The entire Lignaun Valley Marginal and Farmland Mosaic must be zoned 'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development'. 3. The entire Slievenamon Mountain Mosaic must be zoned 'Unsuitable for Wind Energy Development.

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Slhbhnamon Caim & Walk (Mounain of lVomen) Windgap Church and Grottowalk Tullahougtrt 72'tm (2,365t) high, Wndgap Gmtto dates back to 13lh April, 1915: it uras the Tullahought is a piduresque small village in south l(lkenny Slievenamon provides a brainchild of the then Parbh Priesi, situated on the River Lingaun with a viewing to\^€r provides dramaticviewfrom the top Revd. James Brennan and funded unrivalled view of lhe countryside. lt is located 8 mil6 north and can b€ accessed via by Auslralian emigrants. lt is a of Canick on Suir and 25 miles south of Kilkenny City. Pre- Kilcash. L€end has it that uniqt€ feature incorporating quarE historic landmarfts of lhe village indude a StoneAge burial Fionn Mac Cumhaill was lined pathways which pass several ground above the village known as Kilmacoliver Stone Circle.. sought after by many lromen features induding five sculptures, so he set up a race to make seven mosaics and a small folly. A KilmacoliverStones & Walk his ctroice: his wife would be feature of the Mosaics is that there Overlooking Tullahought village from the summit of Bawnfiee the first rroman to race to the top ol Sliabh Na Mban. Fionn are designed in three languages: English, Latin and lrish. (900 ft.) is a circular enclosure of standing stones which date gave the start signal standing on ihe caim at the top of the lo the pre-historic era. Only the $reathered remains are now mounlain and the winner was Grainne. The visible and il can be viewed from lhe roule of a National Loop song" Slievenamon', Mitten in the midl9th century by revolu- Knockrce Double Passage Tomb Walk from Tullahoughl village. Note: Access to the Siones is tionary and poel Charles Kickham, is a well*nown patriotic Known locally as 'The Caiseal', Knockroe's alignment with strictly forbidden. and romantic song about exile, used ahit/ays at Tipperary bolh the rising (8:40 am) and setting sun (3:30pm) during the hurling matches and social events. Winter Solstice on December 21s makes it unique in lreland. OghamStones These celebrations draw locals, academics and those in- Two Ogham Stones urere discovered in tfE now disused trigued by its history. Banle of C-arridPiltown The finished produc{ was widely the Main Guard in Cloffnel as the HQ of The Tipperary Palati- allegedly gets its name (Baile An Phuill- Town of Blood) lrom sought after having non the Gold naie. The famous song , 'A lamenl for Kilcash'- 'Cad a thea bloody battle during the War of The Roses in 1462. Pil- gan medal {or Slates in both Dublin and London. The mosi nota- dheanfuimid feasta adhmad. ...' moums the death of town's lverk Show is lreland's oldest agridltural show : ble building anribded to have the quarqy's slate is the Patace Maryaret Butler Viscountess lveagh who died in 1744. started in in 1826 by the 4th Ead of Bessborough, it is one of of Westminster in London. The village of Ahenrry uras built for lreland's biggest and is held the last Saturday in August quany workers who u,€re of Welsh extraclion. Kihmery HighCrc6s The iconic High Cross in Kilamery is the model formost Celtic Ahenny High Crosses TytroughneyCastle & remains of Roman Cross pendants Cross and modeled on a Brooch from the 9th cen- On lhe Tipperary side of the Lingaun is a site with tr /o impres. Tybroughney Cross is believed to date to Roman times and tury found in the 1850s.The High Cross was commissioned sive high crosses. These vrere commissioned in lhe 8th cen- may -predate St. Patrick's. Tybmughney was a very impor- by C€arbaille in the 8b century and wlren brightly painted il tury by Ceatbille, High King of Ossory and urere likely carved tant trading post due to its position near the head of the tidal would have indicated the po\,ver and elegance of the kingdom by the O'Tunney family of Callan. part of the river Suir. of Ossory.. The milre was believed to be able to anre head- The larger of the two crosses is called -' aches. ,jr the Cross of Ages and displa)rs relief Ormond Castle Tudor The sile had lhe infamous honour of scenes on the base fiom the bible. Leg- I and Manor-Carrick-on-Suir having many of the dead tom lhe be- end has il there was a lhird, more elabo- ln1242, Mattbew Fitzgdffin raras granted a licence for a six- f++ fair his'manor trayed 1798 Fenian rebellion buried rate cross wfiictr fell overboard and was day at of Kanick'. By the mid'l4th century, the here: the rebels r,rrere betrayed and am- lost as it was being taken to England. Buders of Ormond had begun to focus on the trading impor- bushed at Carraigrnoclear, near Models ftom 1908 ttrese elegantly tance of Carick€nsuir belween Waterford and the Tipperary of '1565, Slievenamon- caled crosses are displayed in the M+ hinterland. ln Black Tom Butler, 1Oth Ear| of Ormond Tudor diaeval Mile Museum in Kilkenny buill the Manor house hoping to entice his cousin Queen Elizabeth I to visit him: she never did. The unfortified Tudor Manor is the best example of this Vpe of Tudor archi- tec*ure in lrcland"

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I TrrANKs FoR youR supponT.

AHENNY WIND GROUP & SUIR VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP

PnoTEcTING oUR ANcIENT LANDscAPE AncHEoLoGy AND ALIGNMENTS, KNocKRoE To SI-IABNAMON. SUI FIONN OR KTNCj UEIGNE MOR'S SON'S CAIRN. c(PEAcE FoR youR soul AND A sToNE oN youR GRAVE' LEGEND: FIoNN McCUMHAIL AND GLEAN AN SMOIL. V'tgToRs FRoM BntrrRrrlY? ONIe oF THE MANY LEGIENDS oF FOTNN MAg CUMHALL RELATES TO A HUNT BY THE FIANNA ()F A DEER IN THE LANDS AROUND SI-IABNAMON. TUE DEER LED THEM ON A GHASE FOR MANY MILES AND WAS UNUSUAL AS IT WAS BLACK ON ONE SIDE AND WHITE ON THE 9THER. THE DEER LED THEM To GEnruru AN SrraEoIL, THE vALLEY oF THE THRUSH (THe LINAUN VALLEY). THE DEER TURNED INTO A WOMAN DRESSED II\i IBLACK AND WHITE WHO DISSAPEARED INTO A TENT. TNE TENT WAS GUI\RDED BY SIMILAR WOMEN WARRIORS WHO FouGHT wtTH THE Frnr*lNA AND cApTuREp 5 oF THEM. THE 5 WARRIORS WERE CAPTIIVE FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND FINALLY ESCAPED TO TELL THE TALE. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE PASSI\GE TOMB IN KNOCKROE HAS E3EEN COMPARED TO KNOWTH IN THE BOYNE vALLEy (nr-so crN AN EsTunnv) AND THE ToMB AT LA cRUIzzEY IN BnITANNY BY TI{E LEAD ARSHAEOLOGIST DN. MUIRIS O SUILLEABHAN. WAS THE LEGEND A FOLK MEMORY OF ANCIENT vrstToRs FRotvt BRITANNv oR BaSQUE sPAIN BOTH oF wHoM PROUDLY HAVE A BLACK AND WHITE T'INS?

CARRIGADOc>N: FREE IN I848 As wE FAcE THE cELEBRATIoNs oF 1916, IT Is INTERESTING To NOTE THERE Is A slTE NORTH OP'CARRIGK THAT WAS ONCE FREE UNDER THE TRICOL()UR FOR SOME WEEKS IN IA4B. TrqERE wAs A MoNSTER MEETING oN THE ToP op SLIEVENAMoN ort JULY 26 lA4A WHERE SOTOOO pEOr]LE WERE ADDRESSED nv TnOMAS FRANCIS MEAGER ANp JOHT.I MITCHELL. PEOPIE WERE I\NGRY AFTER THE FAMINE WHICH SAW THE POPULATION OF S()UTH TIPPERARY DROP FROM' 28'4K T() I84K IN TEN-YEARS AND HAVING SEEN SO MUCH FooD exPoRrePI TTTe TRIcoLoUR HAD BEEN BRoUGHT BAGK FRoTTa FRRIVSE AND UNVEILED Iru WETERFORD rn Mey oF THAT yEAR AND wAs sEEN As A FLAG oF uNtrY AND PEAGE. BUT MtrsnELL AND MEAGER WERE ARRESTED AND SENT TO VAN DIEMANS LAND, MEAGHER WENT ON TO EscAPE To AMERIcA AND BEC<>ME A GEruERAL IN THE UNION ARMY AND LATER GOVERNOR OP MOT{TANA. THE PEOPLE WERE POORLY ARMED OR TRAINED AND MOST BRITISH REGIMENTS WERE STILL IN IRELAND. A ERND OF FENIANS HELD A SIEGE IN MULLINHONE AND THEN SET UP CAMP ()N THE OLD HrLL FoRT Rr CnnRIGADooN NoRTH op FnuGHEeru, TnEY ovERLooKED THE FERTILE VALLEY, THE TWO REGIMENTS AND THE HARVEST OF CORN UNDERWAY, AND THEY WERE LED BV JOTTN c) MEUONY FROIVT MULLINAHONE. THEY HELD THE HILL, HOLDING MEETINGS AND EXPEcTING To GET MoRE gUPPORT AND ARMS. BUT LANDOWNERS WERE THREATENED NoT To surrr'oRT THEM, AND THE splEs AND INFoRMERs sLowLY UNDERMINED THEIU- lrrl EARLY SEPTEMBER THE GROUP BROKE UP AND AFTER A SKIRMISH WERE DISBANDED. TgE F{EROIC EFFORT TO HOLD A HILL FORT WAS NOT HIGH PROFILE AND DID NOT ATTACT THE MILITARY REsPoNSE EXPECTED. IT W

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I Thanks for your support:

a list of references and links:

Romantic Sliabh+ra-mon -Jarnes Maher lg54

a History of south Tipperary -Patrick c Power lg8g

a Gleann-an-Oir - E O neill

a Thomas Francis Maher - wikipedia

Kilkenny fl1n g columns -J Maher

The vale of Ivowen - E o Neill.

a www. windawareireland.ie Td tuama pasdiste an Chnoic Rua, a Knockroepassagetomb,which.datestoapproximately3'0O0BC'is suntasach ar roinnt c0iseanna ar a n- distinctiveforanumberofreasonsincludingitsextensiveassemblagethirty decorated stones d'ealain mheigiliteach atd ann ina bhfui' niegalitnic aJconsisting of more than of kerb' mhaisithe lonnaithe sa dd sheomra agus: io"iiio-"to in the two chambers and Gnb shuirni(til eile is ea an t-ailiniu ldr geimhridh atd deianta a Anotherinterestingleaturelsthemidwlnteralignmentotthetwotombs(eastandwest)toiherisingand agus le lui na greine ar an 210 Nollaig. Cd go bhluil an tuame settingsunonthe2lstDecember.WhilethepassagetombatKnockroeisconsiderablysmallerthanthe nlos lt nA an tuaim mh6r a tochlafodh ag Cnobha i nGlean' lafgetumulusexcavatedatKnowthintheBoyneValleyincountyMeath,similaritiesinformhavebeen eatarthu aitheanta ag seandehithe. identified bY archaeologtsts faighte sna tochailti ag an gCnoc Rua gur dearna' revealed evidence lor multiple burials of cremated human Te fianaise excavation at Knockroe has reimse cuimsfthe Archaeological grave goods' were found within ina raibh iarsmai creimthe daonna. Fuafthas A wide range o{ artefacts, interpretable as remains within the chambers. uaighe a thabhairt ofthu, 1na fosaithe creimthe agus orthu sin lhecremationdepositsincludlngpotteryVessels,boneandantlerpinlragments'bonebeadfragments' de phionnaf beanna, iarsmai de choirninf cndmh, siogairlini a investigation in the vicinity of the passage tomb has pendants and spacer beads. Further archaeological tochaitte seandebiochta a rinneadh igcomharsanacht an tuam in the area during a later period' probably medieval revealed cobbling and other indications ol activity sa cheanlar agus tA fianaise ann ar ghnlomhaiochta i dtritn times. cosui!. Knockroe followed archaeological excavation and an The ongoing programme ol conservation work at Leanadh leis an gctdr leaninach dbbair chaomhnaithaag side of the monument and stabilised to gar don taobh research. The catrn has been reinstated towards the northern na taighde seanddlalochta' TA an carn atogtha in the west tomb required structural auention' fadtaarmach a chinnte B'dige ensure its long term preservation. A number of orthostats 6 cobhsaithe chun a chaomhnt roinnt de na liaga seasta in iarlhar an tuama' I T \_, \,._,1

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il -J- lr"r ;t. (.1\ \U '-- "--?: {!+r Filght: Artelacts tound dunng # archaeolqial excavat ons 'i: rt (Ursula Manenbutger. UCD)

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