Viking discovery 'of monumental importance'

The Viking settlement which has been discovered during work on the Waterford bypass is of "monumental importance internationally…

The Viking settlement which has been discovered during work on the Waterford bypass is of "monumental importance internationally", the director of the National Museum, Dr Pat Wallace, has said. Joe Humphreys reports.

Dr Wallace said he had visited the site at Woodstown on the outskirts of the city with the museum's head of collections, Dr Raghnaill Ó Floinn, almost three weeks ago. On April 19th he wrote to the Department of the Environment, emphasising the significance of the find and calling for a full excavation. However, it was only yesterday that the Department replied, agreeing to meet Dr Wallace.

While he was happy that a meeting had been arranged with senior Department officials for later this week, "I worry about the level of knowledge people are bringing to bear on this," Dr Wallace said.

"This happens to be an outstanding archaeological site. It predates Wood Quay and is the earliest surviving evidence of the introduction of urbanisation into Ireland by the Scandinavians. That is of monumental importance internationally."

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Some conservationists have suggested that the €300 million Waterford bypass should be rerouted to avoid damaging the site. However, Dr Wallace said: "My advice would be to get the site excavated and get out of there. Moving the road is insane.

"We have to live within the constraints of the national economy and the National Development Plan. But we also should be living in a dignified structure where people with expertise in this area are listened to."

The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, has asked officials in his heritage division to brief him on the discovery. The National Roads Authority (NRA) is awaiting the outcome of the Minister's consultations before deciding how to proceed.

The NRA has suggested preserving two-thirds of the site for excavation while building the bypass over the remaining third. However, conservationists believe this would lead to the destruction of most of the historic site. Preserving two-thirds of the site indefinitely would involve total costs of up to €13 million, including compensation for contractors already lined up.

An NRA spokesman said: "We have a situation where we have gone through procedures based on the best available information. The NRA cannot on a unilateral basis move the road."

Up to 350 artefacts, including nails, weights, measures, chains and bones have been recovered from the site, which is believed to have been home to a ninth-century Viking longphort, from which raiding parties sailed up the Suir, Nore and Barrow rivers.