Special branch prepares for Bush visit

A TEAM of anti-terrorist police has been based in Ennis for the last number of weeks preparing for US President George W Bush’s visit at the end of June.

At least six officers from the Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU), commonly known as the Special Branch, are understood to be operating in the Co Clare town.

Ennis is only a couple of miles from Shannon Airport, where Mr Bush will arrive on June 25, and Dromoland Castle, where the US President is expected to stay that night.

Sources have told the Irish Examiner that the Special Branch gardaí booked themselves into a number of Bed & Breakfasts in the town some weeks ago. They are part of a massive garda and army security operation.

The US Secret Service - the president’s personal bodyguards - has had an advanced team operating in the country for the past two months.

The secret service has concentrated on security at Shannon Airport, Shannon town and the journey to nearby Dromoland Castle.

It emerged yesterday that gardaí are conducting a massive sweep of residents around Shannon town.

Officers are expected to call to each of the 2,800 households in and around Shannon, taking the names of everyone living in them and recording the registration of every car.

Gardaí are also asking householders of the names of any visitors expected at the time of President Bush’s visit.

Local independent councillor Patricia McCarthy said: “What we are concerned about locally is the invasiveness of it.

“We’ve never seen a situation before where gardaí are calling to every household not alone in the town but the surrounding area, and getting details of all the persons in the household, their car details, where they work and whether they are going to have visitors around the time of the visit.”

Richard Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) said: “This is an early indication that we’re going to see a very draconian police operation, designed to try and intimidate people from protesting.”

He said similar checks on residents and council workers occurred in the run-up to the May Day protests earlier this month.

“We had a completely disproportionate response to what was a minor scuffle at Phoenix Park. I suspect we’re going to see a far more intensive security operation around Bush.”

He said he expected tens of thousands of people - possibly over a million - to take part in the various protests on June 25 and 26.

He said the protest in the Shannon area would take place as near as possible to Dromoland Castle.

The “Stop Bush Campaign” brings together the IAWM, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, the NGO Peace Alliance, as well as various political parties, trade unions and student groups.

The Grassroots Network Against the War, part of the Grassroots Network that organised the Phoenix Park march, is also expected to stage protests.

Stop Bush Campaign protests will take place on Friday, June 25 at 7pm in Dublin, Galway, Tralee and elsewhere, followed by a protest near Dromoland, starting at 9am on June 26.