The Irish Times

A new housing quarter for up to 1,500 people and the establishment of a country park are among the proposals in a new plan for the historic village of Slane, Co Meath. The plan, which was presented to locals at a meeting last night, envisages the restoration of the Boyne Valley canal allowing the village to be linked with nearby Newgrange, and the creation of a local museum in the town. Elsewhere, it suggests that a computer link could be established with the Newgrange interpretive centre, allowing tourists to avail of a shuttle bus service to the Newgrange monument. The "village design statement", which was undertaken on behalf of the Slane Community Forum by Prof Philip Geoghegan of UCD, calls for a number of derelict or neglected buildings in the town to be the subject of conservation works. Commenting on the proposals, Prof Geoghegan said high traffic volumes were destroying "the fabric of the village".