A proposal to remove the landmark Turoe Stone from its location near Loughrea is meeting fierce opposition in the local area.

The stone is one of the finest examples of La Tène art in Europe and predates Christ. However, due to concerns that the stone is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the elements, a meeting has taken place between officials from the National Museum (to which the stone officially belongs), the Office of Public Works and the Galway City Museum.

According to Breand?n O'hEaghra of the Galway City Museum, the stone is an artefact of "enormous significance". It has been located in Turoe for over 150 years and before that at its original location at the Rath of Feerwore, an Iron Age ring-fort structure, at nearby Kiltullagh.

Mr O'hEaghra said that no final decision had been made on whether the stone will be moved. The museum's position is that they would be open to housing the stone, but, he said, it is a decision for all parties involved.

A campaign to retain the stone locally is gaining momentum, with the Turoe Historical Society particularly incensed at the move.

According to Dr Kieran Jordan of the society, "The stone needs protection from weathering, but rather than removing it, this protection can be given to it on site at Turoe. With millions of euro being spent on rural development, removal of the very treasures that could attract visitors to rural areas is unfair. We would prefer to see proposals for development of an acclaimed Celtic tourist attraction site in [the] rural West of Ireland. This would support rural development, create and maintain the authenticity and integrity of the viewing experience and keep people out of our already clogged up city."

Local Senator Ciaran Cannon has also condemned the proposal. "The removal of the stone to Galway city is the lazy option and lacks imagination and foresight," he said.

Opponents of the move argue that the more attractive option is to create a new visitor centre around the Turoe Stone, thus allowing it to be retained in its current location.

Last week Senator Cannon sought an urgent meeting for all East Galway Oireachtas members with Environment Minister John Gormley to discuss the issue. This Saturday, 20 October, a public meeting is being held in the Meadow Court Hotel to discuss the retention of the stone in Turoe. People are also being urged to sign an online petition at www.turoestone.net.

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