And speaking of which. . . . Tomb could haunt Gormley

Environment Minister John Gormley faces another archaeological headache over the development of a new port in north Dublin.

A passage tomb, which could be up to 6,000 years old, lies in the land earmarked for a deepwater port at Bremore, near Balbriggan, which is being developed by the Drogheda Port Company and Treasury Holdings at a cost of €300m.

And a 17th-century harbour, historic wrecks and a cairn on the beach -- which could contain the remains of victims of a wreck in 1875 -- could also be affected.

The passage tomb, which is protected, could be one of the earliest examples in the country and the port's developers will have to produce a plan as to how the port can go ahead without it being affected.

This is the third infrastructure project that could be delayed by concerns about archaeology.