Five men jailed for the last 94 days in their battle to stop energy giant Shell building a gas pipeline walked free from court today.

Energy giant Shell today offered to look at any initiative that could secure the release of the five Mayo men jailed over their protests against a gas pipeline.

Five men jailed for their protests against the construction of a controversial gas pipeline in Co Mayo will remain in prison despite oil giant Shell’s announcement it was suspending work on the project, it emerged today.

THE Rossport Five said they were “more defiant than ever” last night after their campaign claimed a minor coup with a decision by Shell to suspend its pipeline work off the Mayo coast.

SHELL claimed yesterday that the decision to lay off 35 workers was a due to the halting of work on the controversial Corrib gas pipeline.

The five men jailed over protests against a pipeline from the Corrib gas field off the Mayo coast are the only people with the power to resolve the dispute, it was claimed today.

SHELL’S breach of regulations governing work on the controversial Mayo gas pipeline means that the basis for which five men were jailed must be challenged, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte has claimed.

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Noel Dempsey yesterday insisted he could not intervene in the increasingly bitter dispute over Shell’s Corrib Gas proposal, as five Mayo men spent a second night in jail.

Five men jailed for their opposition to a gas pipeline today called for a public boycott of all petrol stations owned by Shell and Statoil.

The jailing of five Co Mayo men for blocking work on a Shell gas pipeline is regrettable, but the court’s decision must be respected, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today.

SHELL E&P IRELAND yesterday welcomed the decision of An Bord Pleanála to uphold Mayo County Council's decision to grant planning permission for the proposed gas terminal at Bellanaboy Bridge, which is to be built to bring Corrib Gas ashore.

Shell E&P Ireland Ltd yesterday welcomed the decision of An Bord Pleanála to uphold Mayo County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a gas terminal at Bellanaboy Bridge, County Mayo, which is to be built to bring Corrib Gas ashore.

GAS production from the Corrib field will be delayed for around the year following the decision by project leaders Enterprise Energy to postpone the laying of the offshore pipeline because of planning issues.