Tag Archives: Shannonwatch

WHILE Shannon Airport has faced numerous crises over the last 20 years, one of its steady sources of revenue has been the ongoing business provided by the US military. How clearly this military use meant the alignment of Ireland with US policies has been hotly debated, with many protestors arguing it has left Ireland implicated in numerous human rights abuses, while successive Governments have argued neutrality is not compromised. Every Government that has allowed the US military use has been led by either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, but as time goes by it looks like that may not happen after the next election, with opinion polls showing Sinn Féin are likely to be the biggest party. The party is a staunch critic of the US military use of the airport, and while other parties have raised concerns before entering Government, if Sinn Féin does enter government it is very likely to be as the senior rather than junior party …

Minister Paschal Donohue has come under fire from a local lobby group over the use of Shannon Airport by US military troops in the wake of the Nice attack. Shannonwatch, which is campaigning for an end to the military use of Shannon Airport, has taken issue with  Minister Donohue over his defence of the use of the airport by US troops. Minister Donohoe said a careful response is needed to terrorism attacks like  in Nice where 84 people were killed. However, Shannonwatch claimed that “ferrying armed troops to the Middle East through Shannon Airport to continue the cycles of war and violence isn’t a calm or measured response”. Minister Donohoe said the Tánaiste, Frances Fitzgerald, had met with the Garda Commissioner on Friday last and added that gardaí are prepared to tackle and prevent such attacks here. “It’s so important now that the response back from all of us isn’t a cycle that can harden the worst impulses and lock …

Saturday’s airshow to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first commercial transatlantic flight, a milestone in Irish aviation history, at Shannon Airport is expected to attract some 40,000 spectators. However, it will also provide a platform for several anti-war groups to stage peaceful protests. Groups opposed to the continued use of the airport by the US military have said the airports recent history is “not one to be proud of”. John Lannon of Shannonwatch said, “While it is fitting to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first commercial transatlantic flight from Shannon Airport and to acknowledge its important role in aviation in Ireland, we cannot ignore the fact that in the last 15 years it has been used to illegally invade Iraq and Afghanistan and has been part of the CIA’s global campaign of kidnapping and torture”. “Shannon became the original airport gateway between the US and Europe and was the birthplace of Duty Free. It is now a gateway …

  A FILE is to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions after a veteran peace activist allegedly attempted to approach US military planes on the tarmac at Shannon Airport yesterday morning. The man in question has been very active in the campaign against the US use of the airport and he is a former member of the Irish army. On Saturday morning he was due to travel to the UK to attend a conference organised by the Veterans For Peace organisation. A spokesman for peace group Shannonwatch, with which the man is associated, claimed that he had seen four Hercules aircraft parked close to the runway with no apparent oversighted and felt obliged to inspect them for weapons. The man was detained initially by Airport Police, before the Gardai were called. Shannon has seen a number of similar incidents over the last number of years, including one involving TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace last summer. A case …

TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace are due to appear before Ennis District Court on Tuesday morning in relation to an alleged “illegal entrance” to a restricted area of Shannon Airport last July. Shannonwatch has issued a call for people to to come to the court to support the TDs , “who attempted to inspect a US military plane at Shannon”. “Their alleged offence is illegal entrance into a restricted area of the airport, and their action was in response to the failure of the authorities to inspect US aircraft at Shannon,” said a Shannonwatch spokesman. Shannonwatch have repeatedly called for an end to the US military use of Shannon. They also call for inspection of all military and suspected CIA aircraft at the airport for as long as they are being allowed to pass through. “Clare Daly and Mick Wallace have made it clear that as legislators and as citizens they have a responsibility to uphold Irish neutrality. They …

SHORTLY after being released from Shannon Garda station this afternoon, TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly relaxed with drinks in a local hotel. Both had been detained and later released without charge after climbing the perimeter fence at Shannon, attempting to make their way to two US military planes at the airport. Clare Daly’s upper lip was still bleeding heavily around two hours after she cut it when falling, as she sought to clear the airport fence.  “I flipped over in my panic! And I fell on top of him (Wallace). I cut me hands as well. I was probably afraid of falling back so I fell forward. It could be worse, it’s nothing to the slaughter of other people.” While they had fallen foul of the authorities, Ms Daly was complimentary of all those she had dealt with at Shannon. “In fairness they seemed to cop it fairly quick. All of the staff and the airport police and fire service …

CONTROVERSIAL TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly were arrested earlier today at Shannon Airport. A spokesman for peace group ShannonWatch told the Clare Champion that the two TDs had been looking to “inspect” two US military aircraft that were airside. He said the arrest had been around midday. A police spokesman confirmed that the TDs were arrested and brought to Shannon Garda Station. The two TDs have been strong opponents of the US military use of Shannon and have been supporters of activist Margaretta D’Arcy, who was released from prison last week, following a previous incursion onto the Shannon runway.  

SHANNONWATCH, in conjunction with The Bottom Dog publication, is to host a public talk by peace activist, writer and actress, Margaretta D’Arcy next week. It will take place at the Mechanics Institute, Limerick n on Thursday next at 7pm. Margaretta served almost 10 weeks of a three month prison sentence for protesting the use of Shannon Airport by US military, and was only released on March 22. She will talk about her life of activism and the ongoing campaign to rid Shannon of the US military. Margaretta is a member of Aosdána and is well known for addressing issues relating to Irish nationalism, civil liberties and women’s rights in her work. In January of this year she was imprisoned for a September 2012 peace action on the runway at Shannon Airport, after she refused to sign an undertaking not to return to the restricted areas of the airport. She has repeatedly pointed out that the runways at Shannon are directly …