The identification of burial grounds all over south Mayo is holding up development in the area.
That’s according to local Councillor Damien Ryan who criticised the speed at which archaeologists are progressing. As burial sites are uncovered the roads programme for the area gets held up, leaving local councillors with questions to answer from constituents who want to know what is causing the delays.
One such project is the car park in Cong which is due for completion in 2009 but which has been hindered by an excavation on site. Works have been ongoing for two years and Cllr Ryan vented his frustration at Monday’s meeting of the Ballinrobe electoral area committee.
Referred to as “them bucks” by Cllr Ryan, the work rate of archaeologists has been severely criticised by the Fianna Fáil representative. Cllr Ryan made the claim that archaeologists view sites as permanent once they are employed by Mayo County Council and as places where they see their 40 years out.
“We will be excavating them (archaeologists ) on site in years as artefacts,” he said adding: “We will have to put up monuments in their honour to get them out.”
Senior officer Mr Patsy Bourke replied that archaeologists couldn’t be blamed for the length of time it takes to carry out their jobs. While he said he too gets frustrated regulations had to be followed. The local engineer Mr Kieran Shally said “burial grounds are popping up all over south Mayo”.
