Tag Archives: protest

PEACE group Shannonwatch held its first protest of 2023 last Sunday. Spokesman John Lannon said that the monthly protests will continue throughout 2023. “The conditions at Shannon are still the same. There are US military planes landing and taking off, in particular the troop carriers are coming through, there are other planes as well. “There has been no response from the authorities or the Government to all the requests we have made over the years for proper inspections, for information about what’s on the planes and where they are going, so the protests will continue.” There were relatively small numbers there last weekend, but he said that is usually the case at the start of the year. “January is always a poor month in terms of turnout. I can’t remember how many we had there, I think there were 10-15. “The protests have been ongoing since January 2008, with the exception of the months during the Covid lockdown when congregations …

TEMPERATURES weren’t very far above freezing on Friday, but a number of Shannon Heritage workers still assembled outside Bunratty, looking to vent frustration over the uncertainty around Shannon Heritage’s future. The delays around the transfer are widely seen as farcical and workers outside what was once one of the country’s top tourist attractions brandished signs indicating their disillusionment. ‘Political ping pong’, ‘Master Plan to Master Sham’ and ‘Staff in the dark’ a sample of them read. “We’re gutted at this stage, it’s going on for over a year and a half at this stage,” said Caroline O’Sullivan, one of the protesting employees. “We were told in February of last year it’d be taken over in June. In June we were told Christmas, and here we are another year down the road and we still don’t know. It’s very uncertain for people with mortgages, children going to school or college. It’s a tough time,” she added. Workers are very disappointed with …

SHANNONWATCH has organised a peace protest for this Sunday at 2pm against the ongoing US military use of the airport. The event takes place two days after Armistice Day which is intended to mark the end of fighting in World War I and to honour those killed in it. Shannonwatch says Sunday’s protest will draw attention to how little peace there is in the world today and how Ireland’s increasing support for militarization is escalating global instability. Armed US troops pass through Shannon on a daily basis, despite the fact that the country claims to be neutral. “What is happening at Shannon Airport is in breach of international laws on neutrality and makes the Irish people complicity in US war crimes and torture,” said Edward Horgan of Shannonwatch. The group has been protesting at the airport on the second Sunday of every month since 2008, while they say that the human and financial costs of the military movements through Sahnnon …

DELIGHT at Clare’s inclusion in a grant for homes with defective blocks has been overshadowed by concerns over the terms of the scheme. Following a campaign of almost two years, Clare gained access to the new grant which due to come into effect in the coming months. While the move has been widely welcomed, concerns remain about the eligibility criteria for the updated grant, as well as the amount of financial cover it will provide, in real terms, for homeowners. A day after the long-awaited announcement from the Housing Minister, Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) were outside Dáil Éireann to voice their fears and repeat their call for pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill that will underpin the updated grant. The woman who initiated the campaign for redress for Clare repeated her call for consultation with homeowners here. “We are making our presence known in the capital,” Dr Martina Cleary said. “The CPAG are outside the Dáil to make the clear …

SEVERAL people whose families are affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine attended Thursday evening’s protest at Tim Smythe Park in Ennis. Irene Korniichuk was there with her mother, stepfather and her daughter. Having come here for a visit from the Ukraine, Irene can’t go home again. “My husband and my older children stayed there, I was just visiting Mum. I can’t return home now. My other two children are with my sister now and they crossed the border into Poland. My husband is still in the Ukraine.” The two children who have gone to Poland are 11 and 15 and she would like to bring them to Ireland if possible. She said her husband will hopefully help in the Ukrainian resistance. “He’s not a soldier but he’ll do everything he can.” Women in her home city are also very active in the fight. “They gather together in different places and they’re making camoflague nets for our soldiers, they are …

THERE was a large attendance of Oireachtas members and councillors at the recent pyrite protest in Ennis when politicians were warned that their seats could hang in the balance if redress isn’t provided soon. They could also face a further challenge in the form of election candidates standing on the issue of pyrite redress. Deputy Cathal Crowe told The Champion the frustration of homeowners was “very understandable”. “We have to respect where they are coming from,” he said. “They’re slowly watching their homes fall around them and with each month, the structure of their home deteriorates further.” In relation to a meeting with Minister Darragh O’Brien which was cancelled, at short notice, last week, Deputy Crowe was confident it would be rescheduled. “I’m in constant contact with Minister Darragh O’Brien and also with the redress group here in Clare,” he said. “Minister O’Brien made a firm commitment in Mary Hanley’s front lawn in August last year and he stands over …

EMOTIONS ran high among those gathered at The Height in Ennis on Saturday for a rally to highlight the problem of pyrite in homes across the county. One West Clare homeowner urged everyone to stand up to the discrimination this county faces as it continues to be excluded from the State-backed redress scheme. Addressing the 200-strong gathering Linda O’Callaghan, who lives in Cooraclare, spoke of her anger and frustration. Her home has had extensive testing to prove the presence of defective material in the blocks, after she noticed severe cracks emerging some years ago. “Every single person living in County Clare should be livid with anger,” she said. “This Government is riding roughshod over the people of County Clare. This Government is discriminating against the people of County Clare and all the residents of County Clare, not just those with pyrite in their houses. “My house has pyrite. My house has cracks. My house has been assessed by an IS465-qualified …

THE heat has been turned up considerably on Clare’s politicians over the level of support for homeowners affected by pyrite. As the Department of Housing continues to liaise with the Council over an application for access to a State grant scheme, emotions are running high for affected homeowners. More than 200 people marched through Ennis on Saturday afternoon in what was described as “the first of many” protests. The assembled politicians, including most of Clare’s Oireachtas members and several councillors, were warned that action is expected if they want to keep their seats. Dr Martina Cleary said Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG) is ready to field candidates in the local and general elections if they don’t secure access to an adequate grant scheme. “We didn’t create this, it’s their lack of legislation over decades that has created this,” Dr Cleary told the assembled media. “They better get their priorities right… Sure they’re only politicians, we can get rid of them …