Meathman's Diary: It’s time to return our greatest treasures
In the early 1800’s the British government stole/acquired a series of marble statues known as the Elgin marbles which are a collection of Classical Greek marble sculptures which are original parts of the Parthenon and other sacred and ceremonial structures built on the Acropolis of Athens in the 5th century BCE.
Despite much too and froing in the period in between the marbles are still in possession of the Brits at the Brit(ish) Museum in London in their own purpose-built gallery.
Why is this relevant? Today a number of Meath’s greatest treasures lie in residence outside the county boundaries and it is time to bring them back to their rightful home ground.
The Tara Brooch (called the Tara Brooch even though it was found in Bettystown) currently lies in the Irish National Museum in Dublin. One of Ireland’s best ever comics, Tommy Tiernan lives in Galway. But perhaps the most insidious crime of them all is the fact that the Book of Kells, the crown jewel of ancient Irish folklore lies in state in Dublin, 70 kilometres up the M3 from its rightful resting place.
If something was created in a certain place and is named after it, then surely it’s not beyond the bounds of logic that it should belong there i.e. Trim Castle got its name from the town it’s located in, there’s a reason it’s not called Dunderry Castle.
Apart from the obvious name related issues, it also makes more economic sense to move it outside the capital.
Dublin is already home to The Guinness Storehouse, the Zoo, Croke Park, The Aviva, and The 3Arena. Not to mention the numerous shopping centres, concert venues, restaurants, distilleries as well countless overpriced and overbooked hotels that have caused so much furore over the last couple of weeks. Does Dublin need all of this? Would a policy of decentralisation be more suitable to all involved?
Could you imagine the economic injection that the town of Kells would be given by such a move? The construction and running of a visitors centre would give the town a much needed boost, with potentially hundreds of thousands of visitors coming every year, bringing with them a potential new dawn for the people of north Meath.
It’s important to point out that not all of our county’s crown jewels have been pilfered. Trevor Giles still lives in Skyrne. Tara Hill, Bective Abbey and Mrs O’s still stand, changeless in an ever fluctuating world. While these things are better off unchanged, a rightful change of home for Ireland’s most valued book would certainly be welcomed.