This article is from page 59 of the 2005-11-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 59 JPG
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‘There is no doubt that the car-park is necessary as the current situation can be dangerous and inconven- ient. The challenge will be to ensure it doesn’t dis-
turb the unique character of the site, where its beauty is its remoteness”.
Clare Tourist Council spokesman, Paddy Maher, said, “The site is so special that it has to be managed properly, but a carpark is absolutely needed because of the dangerous situation of people coming out of buses on the roadside and clambering over walls. I believe that they have also chosen the correct site as it is a greenfield site and doesn’t interfere with the karst landscape”.
Currently, a herd of eco-friendly Government cat- tle is grazing the site in order to improve conserva- tion, as recommended in a management plan.
Dr Lynch has already confirmed that the cattle grazing “has had a very significant impact on the ecology of the site”.
The excavation of the site in 1986 was prompted by one of the slabs of limestone pavement that made up the dolmen being cracked, necessitating its re- placement by a nearby slab of pavement.
Full-time rangers are now employed by the Gov- ernment at the site, after it purchased the dolmen, along with 16 acres of land, in 2002 from a local levutloe
Those wishing to make submissions on the council plan have until December 16.